Hibari Kairi
by Angelic Bliss
Summary: Tsuna knew he was screwed when he fell in love with Hibari Kyoya's younger sister. OC SI. Pre-canon and canon.
1. Chapter 1 Beginnings

**.**

 **Chapter 1. Beginnings part 1**

 **.**

 **Tsunayoshi**

Tsuna knew he was screwed on the day he fell in love with Hibari Kyoya's younger sister.

He, of course, didn't realize it at the time. No one really just realizes the day you fall in love—you just notice one day that you are in love. Because love is complex. Something beyond human understanding and can only be grasped through the sheer experience of it.

Tsuna had no real experience with love before, so the subtle signs just flew past his shoulders. Whether it be the increased beating of his heart or the sweatiness of his palms, love was something that Tsuna did not expect.

When he thought of love, Tsuna thought of Kyoko (his only real connection to the feeling). It was through Kyoko that Tsuna fell madly infatuated with. Short ginger hair, innocent doe eyes, a smile that glowed with her aura. The girl practically had it all. It didn't help that Kyoko was the school idol, leaving Tsuna little to no chance for her.

Tsuna liked to think he loved her, and perhaps he did. But the love he thought he gave away had always been reserved for someone else.

* * *

He had first met her when he was eleven.

It was summer and this year's festival was being held. Tsuna honestly didn't want to go. He could think of better places than going outside and risk being seen. To risk being bullied.

For most of his life Tsuna has been deemed useless, a waste of space, _dame._ And for a long time Tsuna thought he was just as useless as the rumours has said he would be. He wasn't very good at any sports, couldn't really understand English, and pretty much flunked every other school subject. Tsuna felt worthless, and often felt bad for his mother who had to take care of him.

So Tsuna did all the little things that would made his mother happy. Whether it be to go to the grocery store for her, or clean around a bit. Just the little things to make it seem like it was worth all of it—that he was worth all of it. One of the little things just so happened to be to go to this year's festival.

And so the brunette appeared, but made sure to keep his presence hidden. The sun had almost completely disappeared, leaving an abundance of shadows for Tsuna to hide in, but Tsuna wasn't that worried. This year's festival was crowded with people, giving the boy lots of opportunity to mingle among the majority as a way of camouflage.

The eleven-year old made his way around the stall, stopping every now and then to purchase food. This year's takoyaki smelled especially delicious. Tsuna went to buy some when they came.

"Hey, isn't that Dame-Tsuna?"

Tsuna swallowed. He made sure to look relaxed in the hopes not to raise the bullies suspicion. Quickly, he paid for his food and made his way to the opposite direction when a plump hand gripped onto Tsuna's slim shoulder.

"Thought you could escape us Tsuna?"

Making his signature shriek, Tsuna turned around to see his usual entourage of bullies. The three bullies flocked together as a pack, large bodies standing tall to further intimidate their victim. They wore casual clothing, but there was nothing casual in their intentions.

It was either fight or flight. Since there wasn't any real chance for Tsuna to fight, it left only one option. With every ounce of confidence the skinny eleven-year old had, he shoved his piping hot takoyaki into one of the bully's face.

The bully screamed from the hot contact, stunning his company. Tsuna took his distraction as a success and started to run away. He zipped his way past people in haste. The brunette wasn't going to be bullied. Not today. He was going to have fun, just like his mother said to.

Tsuna could feel his lungs burning. His scrawny legs were being pushed to the limit from the access running. One would think that being chased all the time would help Tsuna gain some sort of stamina, but in reality, it didn't do Tsuna much.

In his rush, Tsuna found himself accidentally bumping into a little girl. The little girl fell down from the collision, and Tsuna could see the moisture making it up to her brown eyes, but the increasing form of the bullies left no time for apologies.

With great haste, Tsuna made his way far. Far away from the bullies. Far away from the torture. Away to the temple.

* * *

Usually, Tsuna was fine with going to the temple. During most days it was quiet, secluded, and even relaxing.

However it was night time, replacing the relaxing aura of the temple into a more supernatural glow. The brunette realized the increasing lack of light during his trek up to salvation and the clouds in the sky left little room for moon light giving even less visual for Tsuna. The dense trees welcomed the eleven-year old in an ominous way and the tall grass would often tickle Tsuna's bare ankles.

Despite being uncomfortable and fully freaked out, Tsuna finally made it to the temple. He noticed odd presence of people. Usually there would have been teenagers who looking for some "alone time" at the temple or the usual groups of children looking for something supernatural. But when Tsuna got to the place it was just quiet and empty.

The skinny boy made his way behind the relic of a temple and rested for a second. He didn't hear from the bullies so far and he hoped that he would be able to wait them out from here.

"Are you hiding too?"

Tsuna shrieked at the sudden voice. He whipped his head to see a young girl standing beside him. She was dressed for the festival (cherry blossom patterned yukata and all), and had outrageously long black hair. What really irked Tsuna the most what the fox mask covering half of the girl's face that oddly reminded him of the ANBU masks in _Naruto_. The whole getup scared the shit out of the boy.

It was then when Tsuna realized, this was why there wasn't any people at the temple. There was a spirit here and this spirit was going to devour his soul.

Tsuna straighten abruptly and pointed a shaky finger at the girl, "G-ghost!"

The girl looked behind her in surprise. "Where?!" She gravitated her way closer to Tsuna, small hands clutched on the boy's blue hoodie.

Tsuna felt the blood rushing onto his face. He had never been this close to a girl (spirit? female-spirit?)—hell, most girls didn't even want to be in a two metre radius near him. This type of physical contact was way beyond the young boy's comprehension.

"You! You're the ghost!"

The black haired stranger tilted her hair in confusion. Her grey eyes staring at Tsuna intently behind her mask. "Me?" She pointed at herself, "I'm the ghost?"

Tsuna nodded fanatically, he spiked up brown hair flowing with his movements. "Yes!"

"I am not a ghost," replied the girl in an unamused tone. She stepped back away from Tsuna's personal space (much to his delight) and gave a confident pose. "I am human, thank you very much."

"Prove it," said Tsuna. He still felt wary of the girl. Her sudden appearance—her sudden contact—with him made Tsuna feel extremely anxious. He knew better than to trust people so easily.

The girl moved into a thinking pose—arms crossed, chin down—before she shrugged. "How do you suppose I prove myself?" she asked. "Do you want me to strip a little?"

Tsuna fell his entire face heat up. He could tell by her voice that the girl was joking, but the thought of it has long been imprinted into his head. "No! _No._ "

"I guess we're at a stalemate, huh?"

The two fell into an awkward silence, more awkward on Tsuna's part than the mystery girl. If anything she was enjoying his company more than she should.

After a good few minutes, the fox girl broke the silence. "My name's Kairi," she grabbed a pouch tied to her side, opened it, and offered a cookie Tsuna's way, "What's yours?"

"Sawada Tsunayoshi."

Kairi's lips formed a firm line. "That's a mouthful."

"Don't I know it?" Tsuna felt his mind wander to the numerous times people got his name wrong and shuddered. He took a bite from the offered cookie and replied back. "Just call me Tsuna. It's easier for the both of us."

In a sudden spark of an idea, Kairi's posture straightened. "I know! I call you Yoshi!"

Tsuna frowned in return. "No."

"Come on!" She tugged the ends of Tsuna's sleeve. "You'll be like the coolest dinosaur around."

"No," Tsuna said firmly, hoping to get his point across.

"What about Yo-kun?"

"No!"

"Tuna?"

"That one's even worse!"

Kairi sighed. She rested her chin on her knees, giving Tsuna an unimpressed look. "You're no fun."

The two felt the awkwardness slowly leave, and a more casual atmosphere replaced it. It was then that Tsuna started to learn more about Kairi. He learned that she loves anime just as much as he did and that she really admired people like _Naruto_. In contrast, Kairi learned that Tsuna was constantly being bullied, which only added to her annoyance.

"Impossible!"

Tsuna looked at Kairi quizzically. The cookies had long been eaten, leaving only the bag and the crumbs as remains. "What's impossible?"

"I refuse to think that people bully you!"

"It's not that hard to believe. I mean, just look at me!"

"Yes! That is exactly what I did! I looked at you and saw a great person."

Tsuna felt his ears reddened. It wasn't exactly every day that someone compliments him, especially for a girl he barely knew.

Feeling uncomfortable, Tsuna changed the topic. "So why are you wearing a mask?" asked Tsuna. He was genuinely curious upon his acquaintance's ordeal.

Kairi's pale hand touched the clay mask on her face, instantly forgetting their earlier conversation. "Oh, this old thing? I actually forgot I even had it on."

Tsuna felt himself sweat drop, but still urged her to continue.

"Well I'm hiding you see." Kairi's gaze drifted to the moon. "My family is _protective_ of me. They don't like me going out a lot, so I snuck out with this mask to go to the festival." She gave a cheeky smile Tsuna's way. "It's a pretty good disguise isn't it?"

"I guess." Tsuna didn't really know how Kairi looked like without it, so he wasn't quick to judge.

Kairi's smile faltered for a sad frown. "I don't have a lot of friends—or any friends, really—because of my family. I love them a lot, but I get lonely, ya know?"

The sad thing was that Tsuna did know. He knew quite well to feel isolated from everybody. It was like there was a thin line dividing him from the rest of the world. It was good to know that he wasn't alone on the other side.

Kairi took a deep breath, before smiling at Tsuna. "I'm glad that I got to escape though! I got to have my first friend!"

In an instant, Tsuna felt his heart stop. _Friend?_ The word was practically foreign to him. Friends were something out of his reach. Something that wasn't given to _useless_ people. So why did Kairi just say that they were friends? They only met each other for fifteen minutes. Fifteenth minutes! In that short amount of time he made a friend. Dame-Tsuna made a friend, and it was the best feeling in the world.

"Yeah. Friends."

"And because we are friends, I think it's only right to take this silly thing off."

Pale hands made their way to the white fox mask. In a swift motion, the mask was gone revealing a young face. Piercing grey eyes stared at Tsuna in a familiar notion that made him shudder, and the boy could have sworn that it looked almost worried. A narrow nose was raised high in a sophisticated gesture. Tsuna guessed that Kairi might have been of upper class considering the way she carried herself.

Before Tsuna even had the chance to stop himself, he opened his mouth. "You're pretty."

The statement lead both parties to flush a brilliant red. Eyes looked elsewhere as Tsuna fidgeted awkwardly from his spot. _What is wrong with me,_ he thought. This was the brunette's first friend. He did not want to destroy his new friendship so soon.

"Thanks."

Tsuna whipped his head to Kairi. She still kept her gaze on the ground—a small grin on her face. He couldn't help but mirror her smile.

Before Tsuna could reply, a black blur made its way behind Kairi—a large pale hand grasped the girl's thin shoulders. Although it was night, Tsuna could recognize that face anywhere. Black hair perfectly trimmed, white shirt formally tucked into the matching black pants, grey eyes narrowed to parallel the scowl on his face. Hibari Kyoya in the flesh has appeared, and he was not happy. Not one bit.

"Ah, Kyo-ni. You found me already."

 _Kyo-ni!_ Tsuna felt himself swallow in fear. In an instant, everything made sense. The familiar grey eyes. The overprotective demeanor that Hibari seemed to ooze. It didn't take an idiot to see the familial resemblances. Tsuna would have continued to deny it, if not hearing from Kairi herself. Despite looked similar, their personalities were polar opposites. They boy couldn't help but wonder how each party ended up this way.

"Kairi." Hibari's voice echoed in the air. It was as sharp as Tsuna remembered, but there seemed to lack a sense of _chill_ that the intimidating thirteen-year old was known for. "You have been misbehaving."

Kairi's brows narrowed. She looked absolutely livid. " _Misbehaving?!_ Excuse me—"

"You are excused." Tsuna sweat dropped. This was probably the infamous "sibling quarrels" that he heard so much about, but didn't really experience for himself seeing as he was an only child.

"Don't tell me to 'be excused'!" Kairi ripped herself from her grasp and stood tall in front of her brother. "If anything, you should _be excused."_

Hibari's eyes softened, almost in pity. "You know my orders. You know the rules."

"Yes. You and father seem to constantly want to repeat it to my face."

"We will stop once you actually start to listen."

"'We'? Don't joke Kyo-ni! It's always father deciding what to do. It's always father restricts me from seeing the world!"

The two sibling continues to argue. Each second seem to continue to rile them up. It has gotten to the point where the two sibling switched to a completely different language, which Tsuna assumed was Mandarin or Cantonese.

Tsuna thought about stopping the fight. He honestly did. But the two sibling were arguing against each other like a pair of starving lions over food. It was not pretty.

"It's time to leave, Kairi."

The statement seemed to spark something in both Tsuna and Kairi, leaving a quiet hum in the area. The festival has long since been over, leaving most people packed up for home. Even the insects seemed to quiet down, as if sensing the tension in the air.

"No." The tension seemed to thicken from Kairi's answer, leaving an angry older brother and a terrified Tsuna.

"What did you say?"

"I said no." Kairi crossed her arms and looked her brother in the eye. "I'm done doing what father says."

In one swift action, Hibari grabbed Kairi into his arms and carried the petite girl on his shoulders like a rice sack. Kairi immediately started to protest by thrashing, but Hibari would have none and held his place.

"Let me go!"

"We are going home," Hibari spoke every word slowly in malice, causing Kairi to be limp.

Tsuna wanted to intervene. He saw his friend crumbing on the shoulders of her older brother and he did nothing. He couldn't do anything. Because he was Dame-Tsuna. A person who stood no chance against Hibari Kyoya—a prodigy in every field and an absolute monster with his tonfas. He wasn't strong. Not like Naruto. Not like Hibari. Not even for Kairi.

The brunette felt even guiltier when he heard a sob from Kairi.

Narrowed eyes from the male Hibari made its direction to Tsuna. "Do you have anything to say?"

Tsuna could feel the sweat building up on his forehead. Hibari was only looking at him, and he could still feel the weight of his stare. Seeing Hibari waiting for an answer, Tsuna shook his head and watched as his first friend drift away in the arms of her brother.

* * *

 **A/N: Here it is folks, my first ff.**

 **I've been procrastinating on this for so long-keeping all my ideas in my head-but now I finally have a story going! I am so proud of myself. I would appreciate any critical review and overall thoughts on how my story is going. Do you love it? Hate it? I don't expect anyone or everyone to review, but I always appreciate any sort of feedback.**

 **If anyone has any questions for me, don't be afraid to ask. I want to be connected with my readers and I want to make sure they are following the story correctly. If something seems confusing I will clarify it and edit the story so it won't happen again.**

 **Also, if anyone notices anything that may be wrong in canon (besides my OC's existence) that I have written, please say something. I'm only human and I make my own fair share of mistakes. This probably won't happen in this chapter, but for later on. This goes the same way for any grammar mistakes.**

 **Remember to Fav and Follow!**

 **-Angelic Bliss**


	2. Chapter 2 Beginnings part 2

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 **Chapter 2. Beginnings part 2: the Missing Half**

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 **Kairi**

Kairi Hibari is the second child of Hiroji Hibari and Nami Hibari. To some she would be seen as the princess of the yakuza. She was _blessed_ with the guardianship of all the yakuza within her father's domain. To others she was just another version of her brother, something to be feared. But to her, Kairi was just another girl who wanted to live her own life.

For the past ten years of her life she had been molded into this perfect image of a daughter by her compelling father. A father who just so happens to be one of the largest yakuza bosses in Japan, the leader of the _Black Dragon Society_. A father that was never really there for most of her life.

Despite having all these rules, all these teachings, inflicted onto her, Kairi only ever saw her father three times a year: on her birthday, on her brother's birthday, and on Christmas. Sometimes she would see less of him when his oh-so-important meetings arise leaving a daughter sad that her father wasn't there for her fifth birthday.

It didn't take long for Kairi to realize that she had to grow up quickly. Being thrust in the world of the yakuza meant that she had to grow up quickly. Grow up to be something like her brother. Hibari Kyoya.

Kyoya had always been, in a sense, the golden child. Skilled in combat, intimidating attitude, having a growing army on his own; Kyoya was the ideal out of the two. And although she never said it made it official, Kairi always ended up comparing herself to her brother.

She loved her brother, dearly, that was the truth. They have a special connection with each other that no one within the Hibari compound could really understand. The siblings were there for each other—two parts of a greater whole. The two understood each other and what it meant to live as a Hibari. Being one of the few children within the estate made it easier for the two to get closer.

Despite the love she had for her brother, there was always the jealousy. The sin was always there taunting the youngest Hibari into thinking she wasn't good enough, that she will never measure up to the level that her brother was in. Kairi knew that her father favoured Kyoya more. It was obvious from the compliments and the amount of attention their father gave towards Kyoya that he was the favourite, and it didn't help that everyone in the yakuza preferred him over her.

But none of it mattered anymore. Things were changing—she was changing. Kairi will no longer be that timid girl that lets her father decide her fate. She takes a stand and the future for the better. She will be free.

* * *

The yearly festival was coming up and Kairi found her brother saying something unexpected.

"Do you want to go to the festival?"

Kairi eyed her brother. The very statement screamed suspicion. Her sibling was planning something and Kairi didn't want to be a part of it.

Taking a deep breath, Kairi answer. "No."

The male Hibari eyed his sibling. "I thought you would have wanted to go?"

"And have the whole yakuza swarming around me like some force field? No thanks." Kairi turned her attention back to her calligraphy. She was practicing for the day before she got rudely interrupted.

Kyoya sighed. "This is as much as I can do, Kairi. I have bargained a lot with father already. This is your only chance to get out and have some fun."

 _That's what you think._ "I can assure you that I am having the appropriate amount of fun here at the estate."

"Really?" Kyoya raised and elegant brow. "That's not what you told me last week."

"That was then, this is now." Kairi raised her calligraphy brush and pointed it accusingly at her brother. "I can assure you that I am a new woman now."

Grey eyes narrowed from the older sibling. "If you're planning something…"

"I'm not." The younger sibling sent a reassuring smile to the eldest. "Have more faith in me, won't you?"

Kyoya didn't answer back. He left the room in even strides and shut the door with a loud _slam!_

He was angry, that, Kairi knew as much. She knew her brother tried his hardest to help her gain some sort of a childhood, but he was still on a tight leash with their father. Nothing was going to change, not yet at least.

In all honesty, Kairi couldn't wait to grow up and finally leave this place. It was hard enough growing up here, there would be a time where Kairi would have none of it.

But for now, Kairi stayed at the estate. There was a festival she had to plan sneaking out too.

* * *

It was around eight o'clock in the evening when Kairi decided to make her move. Her escorts were more or less drunk at this time, leaving the perfect opportunity for Kairi to slip from their grasp.

The female Hibari lifted a loose floorboard at the corner of her room. It was in this compartment that she hid all her essentials that were forbidden or otherwise frowned upon. All the manga, video games, and books were stashed neatly and ordered accordingly. Kairi was a bit of a neat freak and often found herself cleaning and organizing to her pleasure. It just makes more sense for her and allowed for easier access.

Between the midst of the _Assassin Creed_ games and the _Percy Jackson series_ displayed and elegant fox mask. The mask in itself was smooth to the finish. White painted overall with black paint lined around the eye holes, ears, and at three thin lines at each cheek.

It only covered the top half of her face, but it was beautiful. Kairi had studied her family history long ago and this specific mask was a pretty significant part in her heritage. It was the mask her ancestor wore during his assassinations. At that time the mask was complete—covering the whole face—but was later cut in half due to an unforgivable act. In her readings there wasn't much specific on what that act might have been. Kairi could only guess it was too sinful to mention.

But upon seeing the mask for the first time all those months ago hidden in the attic, Kairi couldn't help but be mesmerized. It called to her in whispers and when she tried it on there was a deep realization of history and a deep sense of legacy. The young girl felt like she needed to wear this mask and continue on the persona of the fox. By wearing it, she became someone else and provided the escape from her house that she had yearned for.

With determination, Kairi took the mask and placed the board back in its place. She placed the mask delicately on her futon and proceeded to change into her outfit for the evening. It was simple enough; a white yukata with a cherry blossom pattern. Nothing too fancy to gain everyone's attention, but nothing too plain as well. It was the perfect outfit to help her blend in the background.

When she finished dressing up, Kairi started with her hair. It was long—almost reaching her hips—black, and sleek allowing for easy handling. She was too excited to style her hair into something too spontaneous and settled with leaving it as it is. With one final look at the mirror, Kairi put on her fox mask and quickly snuck out of the Hibari compound.

* * *

When she first saw him it was late at night. The moon was at its highest, but the cloudy sky left little light for the rest. Kairi was at the temple hiding from her brother. She saw her sibling alongside his own personal goons crawling their way near one of the stalls.

Kairi almost got a heart attack seeing her brother's face, but she was quick and stealthy—something her brother lacked. Although both sibling were light on their feet, Kairi's presence was silent, at times almost non-existent, compared to her brother's whose whole persona demanded to be noticed, to intimidate those beneath him. So it wasn't hard to drift among the mass amount of people or to hide amongst the shadows. For Kairi, it was almost second nature to have her presence entirely disappear.

It's not like she minded, disappearing for a while that is. It seemed like everyone's attention were on the girl. Whether if she was keeping up with studies or where she was at the moment, the Hibari estate always kept their attention on the girl.

They had a rational reason for their over-protectiveness. At a young age Kairi was kidnapped by a rival group, the same rival group that killed her mother. She doesn't remember much of what happened, but the end result was clear. From that moment onward Kairi was constantly being watched. From the smallest things like going to the convenience store or to going to the mall, Kairi was constantly being watched, being followed. She was put on a strict schedule that demanded the supervision of at least one of the elite fighters in the family. The girl wasn't even allowed to go to school due to the constant paranoia.

It was the restrictions that drove Kairi insane. The rules that made life harder. The suffocation that made Kairi want to leave her home.

As much as she did appreciate the attention, it is entirely unneeded. She was trained as hard as her brother, learning all the similar concepts as the eldest sibling, and more so, yet her father deemed all the protection as a necessary action of protection. It was annoying on so many levels. Kairi hated it. Her so called body guards hated it (they, apparently, had better things to do than to watch the "Hibari Princess"). It was just a nuisance towards everybody. The only attention she wanted was from her father, and even something trivial as that was impossible at most times.

Kairi knew better. Her father never really cared for her on a personal level, but more on an objective level. She was a pawn, easy to use and easier to dispose. Kairi felt no love from her father and the girl was starting to feel that she never will. She was an asset. She was a liability. She was Kairi: a girl who wants to live.

It was during the night Kairi found her home. The shadows welcomed her and brought security. It was in the night that Kairi could breathe a little. She would often find herself putting on the fox mask and running away from home temporarily. It wasn't that hard to escape during this time. Kairi's so called "bodyguards" were practically in rest mode by this time making the escape even sweeter.

The black haired beauty sat behind the temple and simply enjoyed the snacks she had bought. The cooks at the compound followed the strict diet that the Hibari's have been following for generations which lead to her being deprived of anything too sugary or salty. Taking one bite of the choco banana lead to the young girl to submit to a form of euphoric heaven.

Hearing the bushes rustle, Kairi immediately hid in the shadows. She was wary and hostile, and ended up taking a defensive stance in case anyone were to attack. Kairi knew the odds of any attacker following her here were quite slim, but it didn't mean the paranoia went away. She assumed that this unfortunate trait was a familial one.

A few seconds after the initial sound. Someone reared around the corner. The figure was breathing quite hard and was leaning over, hands over their knees. Kairi was curious to say the least.

She took a risk and crept closer to the figure. Upon closer inspection, the girl noticed that it was just a boy, perhaps around her age, who looked just as frightened as she was. The boy had a lanky figure that looked as intimidating as a baby hamster. His brown eyes were big and wary, as if something scary was going to pop out any moment, and his hair was tousled so much that it was practically standing up (or maybe it was, Kairi couldn't tell).

The boy looked approachable enough and if he did turn out to be an assassin like Kairi thought, than she was sure she would be able to handle herself considering how unfit the boy seemed.

"Are you hiding too?"

The boy shrieked loudly, causing the Hibari heiress' ears to ring. _Was this some type of fighting technique or something?_

The brunette in front of her look even more frightened than before and suddenly stood rigid. He pointed an accusing figure Kairi's way "G-ghost!"

Kairi found herself blinking in surprise. _There was a ghost?_ She knew that believing the supernatural and any other anomalies was beyond childish, but those stories seemed so intriguing—so real! The girl couldn't help but research the kind of stories involving the unexplained, even if it scared the shit out of her.

Feeling rather disturbed, Kairi made her way to her only companion at the moment. She clutched on the end of his blue hoodie in preparation to bolt with him when whatever threat arises. "Where?!"

"You! You're the ghost!"

Kairi had to hold her thought process in possible escape scenarios. "Me? I'm was the ghost?" She couldn't help but look at the stranger in front of her oddly. She supposed that her getup may have been weird (the mask practically radiated the feeling), but she was no ghost, not by a long shot.

The boy in front of her nodded rapidly, his spiky long hair following his movements. "Yes!"

"I am not a ghost. I am human, thank you very much."

"Prove it," challenged the boy.

"How do you suppose that I prove myself?" How indeed. She could tell there a good display of distrust on his part, but how in the world was she going to prove it? It's not like there were any big differences (besides supernatural powers) between spirits and humans. They pretty much looked similar. "Should I strip a little?"

There was a great amount of red creeping up on the boy's face. Kairi knew what she said was entirely inappropriate, but his reaction was simply priceless. "No! _No._ "

Kairi felt a grin make its way on her face. "I guess we're at a stalemate, huh?"

There was a heavy silence that seemed to hold onto the air. It was a bit uncomfortable for Kairi and she felt the need to break it before it broke her.

"My name is Kairi. What's yours?" she grabbed the pouched filled cookies on her side and offered it to the stranger. It may have been seen bribery to get the boy to open up, but Kairi liked to think of it as an icebreaker.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"That's a mouthful." The girl tested the name in her head and ended up getting a tongue twister out of it. It was unique just like their first meeting.

"Don't I know it? Just call me Tsuna."

Kairi's mind wandered. This was the first real conversation she has had with someone outside of Hibari estate and she wanted to make it a memorable one. She decided that a nickname was needed. "I know! I'll call you Yoshi!"

"No." The answer was immediate sending Kairi in a pout.

"Come on! You'll be like the coolest dinosaur around."

Staying firm in his answer, Tsuna replied. "No."

"What about Yo-kun?"

"No!"

"Tuna?"

The brunette raised his arms out in exasperation. "That one's even worse!"

Kairi sat down already feeling tired from the spat. She rested her chin on her knees, still pouting at the boy in front of her. "You're no fun."

The awkwardness left as quickly as it came and Kairi found herself generally enjoying Tsuna's company. She minded her actions in fear that her sudden excitement may scare off her new companion, but she couldn't help but feel so giddy from the encounter.

The feeling quickly vanished when Tsuna broke the news that he was being bullied. It was weird to hear at first. Tsuna, her new amazing friend, was being bullied. It was unthinkable! All of a sudden, the girl was overcome with an intense feeling of rage. She just couldn't believe it. Why would anyone want to do such a thing? Why would anyone try?

"Impossible," exclaimed Kairi.

Tsuna responded with his own look of confusion. "What's impossible?"

"I refuse to think that people would bully you!"

"It's not that hard to believe. I mean, just look at me!"

Kairi stared at Tsuna with all of her resolve. "Yes! That is exactly what I did! I looked at you and saw a great person." Kairi didn't understand why Tsuna pitied himself, why he would ever think so lowly. The boy had so much potential and Kairi was not going allow the first person she ever truly enjoyed her time with to succumb to such vile thoughts.

The Hibari watched Tsuna clear his throat and attempt to change the topic. "So why are you wearing a mask?"

Tagging along with the conversation, Kairi unconsciously touched her beloved mask. "Oh, this old thing? I actually forgot I even had it on." She gave a forced smile, which worked on Tsuna.

The girl debated on whether to tell him the truth or not. Sure she liked the boy, but was she willing to tell him everything? She settled with being mysterious. "Well, I'm hiding you see. My family is protective of me. They don't like me going out a lot, so I snuck out with this mask to go to the festival." Kairi grinned, shining her pearly whites towards Tsuna. "It's a pretty good disguise, isn't it?"

"I guess."

Kairi felt her smile tug downwards. The loneliness of living the Hibari lifestyle creeping onto her. "I don't have a lot of friends—or any friends, really—because of my family. I love them a lot, but I get lonely, ya know?"

The pair settled into a comfortable silence. There was a sense of understanding between them that the two cherished greatly.

Taking a deep breath, Kairi continued. "I'm glad to escape though! I got to have my first friend!"

Tsuna grinned at the girl in front of him. "Yeah. Friends."

"And because we're friends, I think it's only right to take this silly thing off." Feeling a boost of confidence and reassurance, Kairi swiftly took off the mask that concealed a portion of her face.

Tsuna's reaction was late to say the least. He spent of amount of time staring at Kairi's face, which unsettled her. She knew she wasn't ugly, per say, but there was something in Tsuna's gaze that made her feel self-conscious.

"You're pretty."

Kairi couldn't help but stare at Tsuna in shock. Her face heated up in an unfamiliar way and there were knots in her stomach that she couldn't possibly explain. _This is not natural!_

The female Hibari swallowed and forced herself to reply back. "Thanks."

Barely a second later, Kairi felt a large hand grasp her shoulder. Her mind instantly went on alert and her body tensed in panic. She forced her muscles to relax as she prepared herself to strike the attacker who was stupid enough to touch her.

Elbows locked in an offensive position, Kairi turned around, and ready to attack only to see the familiar scowl on her older brother's face. "Ah, Kyo-ni. You found me already." From her peripheral view she could see Tsuna turn white. Oh course, her brother had to ruin everything.

"Kairi. You have been misbehaving."

The girl in the spotlight felt her anger slowly rising. " _Misbehaving?!_ Excuse me—"

"You are excused."

 _You're excused!_ The audacity of her older sibling! He was the one interrupting. He has no right to say that to Kairi. "Don't tell me to 'be excused'! If anything, you should _be excused_ "

Kyoya looked at her in a familiar gaze. They both knew the circumstances, and yet, there wasn't much any of them could really do in the situation. "You know my orders. You know the rules."

"Yes. You and father seem to constantly want to repeat it to my face."

"We will stop once you actually start to listen."

"'We'? Don't joke Kyo-ni! It's always father deciding what to do. It's always father restricts me from seeing the world!"

The argument started to escalate. The siblings continued to butt heads, the tension clearly rising. It went as far as to switch into Mandarin—their mother's native language—which involved some cursing in Kairi's part.

Kairi knew her brother's argument was valid, but it didn't excuse how mistreated she felt. All she wanted was a little bit of freedom. All she wanted was to be normal. There was no escaping, no matter how much Kairi tried. She knew what normality looked like. She watched children act like with their parents and vice versa. This wasn't normal. She was restrained beyond belief and it was killing her mentally, emotionally.

"It's time to leave, Kairi."

The girl was left speechless. In the end, no matter how many times Kyoya tried for her, no matter how many times he was on her side, she will always end up being some lapdog to her father. No matter how much her sibling denied it, it was true. It was as if he was the only exception that Kyoya would ever be willing to submit to.

Finding her resolve, Kairi answered. "No."

"What did you say?"

"I said no." _No more._ "I'm done doing what father says."

In an instant, the ground was no longer beneath her feet. Kairi recognized the broad shoulders of her brother as she seemed to be trapped by his firm hold.

To say that she was angry was an understatement. She was beyond just a single emotion. Kairi was sad, betrayed, livid, annoyed. Just this once, was it so hard to have something she wanted. Just this once, couldn't Kyoya disobey her father. Just this _once._

"Let me go!"It wasn't fair! Why her? Why now?!

"We are going home." His voice was so familiar just then. It sounded so far from emotion and so cold that the hair on the back of her head stood up instinctively. It sounded just like their father's voice.

Kairi felt her body work fall limp on impulse. Her eyes seemed to fall dull and she felt so lost and destroyed. Kyoya was just like her father, and Kairi thinks that she can never forgive him for becoming like that. The tears that threatened to fall, came out quickly.

The rest of the events felt like a blur and Kairi soon found herself crying into exhaustion.

* * *

 **A/N: There goes chapter 2.**

 **I usually don't like repeat chapter's (they're kind of like those anime episodes that talk about what's been happening in the last 10 episodes. It's quite annoying actually), but I felt like it's necessary in terms of introducing Kairi and her motivations. For Tsuna, we already get a sense of where he is and what he stands for, but for Kairi we don't which is why this chapter is so necessary.**

 **I'll get the 3** **rd** **chapter done in a jiffy, although I would appreciate if people can submit some friendship promts in the reviews to help further build Tsuna and Kairi's relationship. I have a lot of ideas but they're mostly for the romance part of it.**

 **As an apology for the repeat chapter, here's an extra for all of you!**

 **-Angelic Bliss**

* * *

 **Omake**

 **Kyoya**

Kyoya loves his sister. She was the only good thing in his life in the moment. Growing up, his father left no censorship in the life he would inherit. He saw the man slay another, cheat politicians, and eliminate any person that comes in his way. He was a liar, a murderer, a villain. He was their father and the only thing that tied Kyoya to him was some paternal loyalty that most children had with their parents, and the sheer fact that they shared the same DNA.

There was a certain respect Kyoya had with his father. He was powerful, logical, cunning. Kyoya had to admire him for that. But he was also very selfish. The man always thought with a goal in mind and often left the insignificant things out of the picture. Things like Kairi.

Kyoya knows better. He knows that the world is not a forgiving one. Unlike Kairi, Kyoya was thrust into the world of the Yakuza the hard way. He did not get the protection and the innocence that Kairi has. Instead he got bloodshed and corruption. He doesn't want that life for her. She doesn't need it. Kairi was an untainted flower. So beautiful. So miraculous. She was everything he lacked and then some. Kyoya can't let the world take that away.

She was so much like her mother. The smile. The way her eyes would twinkle. The way she said his name. She was a living sentiment of her and Kyoya isn't sure whether to be happy or sad about it. He knows Kairi can barely remember her, and he knows that he shouldn't replace Kairi's existence with his mother's, but he missed his mom. He missed the way she would sing his nightmares away, or when she tended his wounds from father's training, or the times she would caress his forehead and tell him that she loved him.

The Hibari heir was not optimistic towards the world. He saw the world as it is: a chaotic state that needed to be corrected. If Kairi were to live in a world happily—safely—then he needed to change it. Kyoya knew that his father brought no good in Nanimori. He brought crime in a place that was supposed to be a safe haven for his sister.

Kyoya will protect his sister. Kairi is the only thing he has of his mother and he's not ready to see her taken away. He saw how far people would go for power, money, some sort of satisfaction. They were relentless for the prize, and for the cost? War. Massacres. His mother.

He would not let his sister enter this life. He will not let his sister have her hands soaked in blood like his ancestors generations before him. He will not let his sister die in such a pitiful way.

No. Kyoya will do everything and anything to make Nanimori a safer place. His father currently held the reign now, but it won't be long before he leaves to Tokyo where the yakuza home base was. Once he leaves, Kyoya will reform everything

For now he will listen. He will watch and will wait until Nanimori is within his grasp. Only then can he change it. Only then can he offer the freedom Kairi desires.


	3. Chapter 3 A Shift

.

 **Chapter 3. A Shift**

.

 **Kairi**

To say that her father was mad was an understatement. The head Hibari was absolutely livid upon finding out that his _beloved_ daughter has been misbehaving. He was apparently interrupted from a meeting due to Kairi's actions, which caused the man to be more annoyed.

When Kairi woke up in the Hibari compound the next day she was met with tension that was so thick that it was hard to breathe. She was presented by her brother to her father at the courtyard, while everyone in the compound watched. There was something heavy in the air as the bystanders watched her. Most of them were yakuza members who wore leather beyond belief. Some of them were old, passing over the ripe age of thirty, however there were some teenagers who felt the calling of a more brute life.

There were also her family members. Although there were a few of them, the Hibari's that lived in the Nanimori estate donned the look of a traditional Japanese citizen—the men wearing classical kimono and hamaka pair, while the women wore elegant kimonos with stylish obis—to match with the old setting of the estate. The estate in itself was quite new and small in comparison to its other branches, but the Hibari's liked tradition and often kept to it. Kairi had a theory that the prideful nature of the Hibari's is what kept them from mentally progressing.

Kairi could feel the eyes of every single person in the compound. The whole point of making this public was an act of humiliation, but it only made Kairi feel more empowered. There was an adrenaline in disobeying the rules. It made Kairi feel like she could do anything. Her actions felt so right and justified. She needed to experience the world on her own, and she could not do that when she is confined to her house. There were so many things to see, people to meet! It wasn't wrong to see it on her own, was it?

Her father's right hand man stood beside him and started to proclaim her actions as if they were unlawful. It felt like she was being put to trial for something so trivial. Kairi wanted some space, was that so hard to ask for? She suppressed the anger, anguish, sadness, and longing for so long. It was no surprise that she broke. The pressure and being force to submit only added to the stress of Kairi's life.

Upon seeing her father's face, she immediately looked down. Like the prey facing a predator, she did not want to provoke any more than necessary. He looked somewhat the same as she remembered. Dark almond eyes were still ever so cold and distant. It looked sharp, like her brother's, and calculating. He was wearing a loose fitting white dress shirt tucked in a pair of formal grey pants. His symbolic red haori was slung casually over his shoulders with a large symbol of the Black Dragon Society printed on the back. The man stood tall as he assessed his daughter.

The sun was shining brightly during the ordeal and Kairi felt like the centre of the whole spotlight. It has been approximately thirty minutes and they were still announcing her 'crimes' _._ The girl was honestly getting bored of it. It was early in the morning when Kyoya woke her up and shoved her into this mess and she was a bit irritable and tired of it all. _Maybe I should sleep a little..._

Kairi barely dozed off before she was hit on the head—rather hard, it would seem—on the back of her head by Kyoya. He stood beside her in his usual attire, overlooking his sibling as if she would bolt any minute.

She glared in response. Kairi had yet to fully forgive Kyoya for his betrayal.

Her father's right hand man glared Kairi's way. He was an incredibly skinny—boney, really—man who stood very tall. His nose was like a bird's beak, and his eyes were like an owl. His name was Kaku Izumi, but Kairi found it more fun to call him 'Bakaku'. The man was a snake and found it enjoyable to see Kairi upset and made his hunger for power so blatantly obvious.

Kairi watched her father calmly raised a hand, silencing Bakaku. The man silenced on order and stood behind his leader. The elder Hibari eyed his daughter in disinterest. "Send her to her room and double up the guards." With that being said, the crowd dispersed, but parted out of the way of the siblings.

 _What!_ Before she could reply, Kairi was dragged towards her room by her brother. She probably disobeyed her father beyond belief and ended up dragging him away from his meeting and all she got was a simple grounding. The female Hibari was expecting something more dramatic like triple the training regime or cleaning the whole compound by hand. This just proves how indifferent her father was to her.

 _Was he even listening at all?_ Kairi thought. Her father looked so bored over the whole trial, and Kairi could have sworn that he was napping when Bakaku was babbling on.

When they reached their destination Kyoya lightly shoved his sibling into her room and quickly shut the door on her. She heard a muffled apology, to which Kairi scoffed to. In a matter of seconds, silhouettes of tall bodies stood on guard from the rice paper doors, leaving Kairi trapped, yet again, in her room.

* * *

It was dinner time and Kairi sat quietly beside her brother. As much as she did resent him at the moment, he was the only one she could really tolerate in the room. It wasn't like the girl was going to sit beside Bakaku—the man hated her with every inch of his being—or sit beside her snobby relatives, or even attempt to sit with the members of her father's inner circle, and she certainly wasn't important enough to sit beside her father leaving the only option of sitting beside her brother.

Kairi shifted from her spot on the tatami. She cringed when she was served daikon and carrot salad with her rice and grilled fish. Carrots were not her favourite vegetable by a long shot. There was just something in the taste of it that caused Kairi to gag. The cooks would constantly cook different versions for to get the heiress to like it, however, Kairi always found herself on the verge of vomiting from it. She respected the health benefits of it, but _Kami_ were they disgusting.

The female Hibari silently handed it to her brother who took it without question.

Before anyone started eating, the head Hibari cleared his throat prompting everyone to listen. Every member in the room silenced instantly and looked towards their leader.

"As you all know I have business to tend to in Tokyo. The Phoenix Feathers are getting cocky since I left and it only feel's right for me to _mend_ things back to normal."

There were a few cheers from the listeners. The Phoenix Feathers were a small group that emerged recently. They barely did anything to really consider themselves as rivals to the Black Dragon Society, but they were still an eyesore. The group was irritating. They talked big and it only managed to annoy every single yakuza group out there.

His eyes narrowed slightly causing the room to stifle back to silence. The head continued from there. "Nanimori is not as established as I would like it to be and so I will entrust someone to oversee it for me."

The statement left everyone to perk up in interest. The head has been known to be greedy. He wasn't one to give away anything so casually, especially power over certain branches in his domain. The thought of him giving someone else power over his latest project was an unnerving thought.

"Which is why I have assigned Kaku Izumi to be in charge of Nanimori on my behalf."

Kairi felt dread enter her body. _Bakaku? Really?_ He was the worst possible choice. She didn't trust the man in so many different levels. Kairi knew she wouldn't really expect anyone to have quality leader material in the group, but Bakaku would only bring disaster. He was ambitious to the point in slaughter. Although Kyoya would inherit the title of boss later on, it didn't stop Bakaku from trying. The snake made it obvious that he wanted to kill both Kyoya and Kairi.

The female Hibari glanced at to her brother. He was as tense as she was and kept a strict gaze to his lap. The siblings gazed at each other briefly before a look of understanding came upon them. They were no longer safe in the estate and there was no changing it.

* * *

Her arm extended, palm open. It was fast and swift sending a small gust of air towards the wooden dummy in front of her. The lifeless dummy tilted far back from the force and reared forward with the same force.

Hips twisted, legs sprung forward extending a balled fist upwards Grey eyes aimed for one of the arms of the dummy sending the arms spinning horizontally around its body in great speed.

Crouch. The girl easily dodged the threat and flexed her body backwards. Palms met the surface of the cold hardwood floor. The lower body was brought up and scrunched itself close to its upper half. She focused on her core before pushing herself forward with the built up momentum and successfully met the dummy at its centre. Upon meeting the dummy's surface, the girl launched herself away from her opponent, sending it far across the room with great force.

Kairi watched as her foe crumbled from colliding with a wooden column. The dummy wasn't much of an opponent, but she needed the practice. She's been quite antsy with Bakaku lately and thought that training would be an excellent way of relieving her stress.

Her father had left just yesterday and the man already proclaimed himself the king. The vile man made her become his personal servant. Every little request, no matter how stupid it was, was sent to Kairi. Whether it means waxing the floors of the entire estate or cooking dinner for the entire compound, Bakaku was a slave driver.

She just needed to get away for a moment. Away from all the anxiety that Bakaku brought onto her. Training herself in her uncle's style helped. Her uncle lived in China at the moment, but every so often he would stop by and train Kairi in martial arts. It would always be such an invigorating session. Her uncle was just so wise and patient that Kairi found herself being fond of the man.

"You have to leave."

The heiress scanned her brother. He was leaning on the doorway looking quite dishevelled. "Excuse you, but I was here first."

"Kaku is a threat. You have to leave."

"You think a little work is going to scare me?"

"It's not about the work, it the symbolism behind it." Kairi stayed silent and urged her brother to continue. "Kaku considers himself god here and we are the dirt beneath his feet. He drives us to dehumanize us, to have us lose every single amount of dignity. It makes it more logical to kill for him after that. Like a man killing a beast, we a no longer on his level."

"So he's going to kill me?"

"Eventually."

"And you want me to leave?"

"Yes."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

Kairi could feel the anger in her rising. "And just where will I stay?"

"There is a man by the name of Iemitsu. He owed mother a favour long before you were born. You'll stay at his household."

"And you want me to go?" Small hands crumpled the edge of her red cheongsam. It was designed specifically for Kairi and her training.

Kyoya stayed impassive, his expression never wavering. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

 _Not like this._ "I'll stay. I'll fight with you." _I won't leave you alone._

"You're only a child."

"So are you!" exclaimed Kairi. "Or did you forget that?"

"You cannot forget what was never given to you in the first place."

Silence. Kairi forgot how Kyoya's childhood was a touchy one. "I'm sorry," she began, "but the thought of you going through this alone worries me. I know you can handle yourself just fine, but this man wants to _kill_ you—us, and now you expect me to just leave?"

"Yes because you matter more." Kyoya looked at Kairi directly in her eyes and held her stare. He was never one to be a martyr unless it involved her and Kairi was crossed between feeling appreciation from it or being plain furious.

The younger sibling forced a mocking laugh out. "He strikes again, the ever so prodigious Hibari Kyoya. Tell me Kyo-ni, why on earth are you trying so hard?"

Frowning, he replied. "Because I have to." Kyoya gave a frustrated sigh and fixed his gaze on the wall to the left of him. "You don't understand Kairi! He has to look at me and only me."

"Who? Bakaku? Father?"

A single nod confirmed it. "He has to look at me," Kyoya paused before continuing. "You don't want his attention Kairi. He will destroy you. Both of them will."

"Like he did with you?" she said softly.

Kyoya thought she was ignorant, naïve. The fact was that Kairi knew very well what Kyoya went through, the rumour mill in the estate ensured it. She saw the bruises and the dark look in his eyes that wasn't there anymore. Every day he was changing. Bit by bit the hate grew, the determination solidified. The Kyoya she saw before her was different from the one yesterday and she was sure that the one tomorrow would be just as disparate as the others.

"Leave, Kairi. Be safe."

"No." The younger sibling held her ground. "I love you and that means that I can't let you go through it alone."

Kairi stepped towards and wrapped her arms around her brother to which he automatically returned back. He could feel her sibling relax on her hold, as he took in the situation. It was in these moments that Kairi enjoyed the most. It made her feel safe as if there was a protective bubble surrounding them from all their problems and for a minute there would be a sense of calmness and ease in the world. For a minute everything seemed alright.

After a few minutes the eldest released the hug. He stood a foot away from his sibling. Grey eyes avoided her gaze and stared at the wall to the left.

Kairi looked at her brother in confusion. There was something odd in his behaviour. For one, he avoided eye contact. This was strange because Kyoya valued eye contact. By looking someone in the eye you can see their intentions, their emotions. They are windows to the soul and it helped in figuring out if someone is lying or not. Kyoya only ever avoided eye contact with their father.

He was slouching too. That was not a Kyoya trait, it isn't even a Hibari trait. The Hibari's prided themselves in looking civilized and proper. Kairi assumed he was just tired—who knows what Bakaku has done to him.

"I'm sorry."

 _Huh?_ Before Kairi could register anything a large arm encased her from behind, restraining the girl from moving. The female Hibari reacted accordingly and started thrashing. Trimmed nails dug itself into the arm of the attacker, but heeded in little effort for her escape. The man behind her was a wall, unmoving, and held Kairi with an intense grip.

She tried to head-butting, but she missed the actual limbs by a couple of inches. _Damn, I'm too short._ When she looked u,p Kairi was met with her surprise to see Kusakabe Tetsuya.

Kairi was more confused than ever. What was Tetsu doing? He was one of Kyoya's loyal followers within the compound. The idea that he would attack her was ridiculous.

Tetsu's free arm revealed itself from behind him. He was clutching a folded handkerchief and proceeded to bring it closer to Kairi's face. Even from a distance Kairi could smell it. It was a sickly-sweet scent like bad candy, it continued to smell worse as it came closer to her face and Kairi could feel the effects starting to kick in. _Chloroform._

Kairi started to panic. She continued to thrash, she continued to look for an escape, but there was no budging from her condition. The handkerchief evidentially made its way on Kairi's face and she could already feel herself getting drowsy.

Her eyes momentarily shifted to her brother. He was getting blurrier by the second, but she could still make out his form. He didn't move one inch and his eyes never swayed from its gaze on the wall. He looked like he was shaking, any maybe he was. Kairi couldn't tell. Her whole world was pretty much spinning on its own. It wasn't long before the whole world turned black.

* * *

 **Tsunayoshi**

Tsuna was worried. He hadn't seen or heard of his new friend in days and that distressed him. He still felt extremely guilty for abandoning Kairi—the image of her sobbing was still imprinted on his brain. The brunette felt obligated to do _something_ which leads him to his current predicament.

Every day since his encounter with the Hibari siblings, Tsuna has made it his responsibility to wait at the temple where he first met his friend. Whether it be due a strong act of devotion or the overwhelming idea guilt, Tsuna waited graciously for Kairi to come back. He knew it was stupid to wait at the temple of all places. The boy had contemplated actually searching for the girl, but he didn't know where to start. Nanimori was a large place, and finding a single girl in the midst was hard. It didn't help that the Hibari's were a powerful and secretive group, making the search seem even more impossible.

He knew she shouldn't worry as much. Kairi was a Hibari for Christ's sake! She could handle anything that comes her way. And yet, there was an irrational fear that she wouldn't be alright—that by saying nothing that night may have caused Tsuna to never see her again.

But it didn't deter Tsuna from hoping that Kairi would appear again. She gave him hope. No one has shown so much admiration, care, and respect to Tsuna than Kairi did. It was an amazing feeling altogether and Tsuna did not want to give up on it. Not when it felt so good to feel important—significant.

The sun was finally setting and Tsuna knew it was time to go home. He had been there since around noon, and he didn't want to miss dinner.

On his trek home, Tsuna couldn't help but be subjected to his thoughts. There were a lot of things on his mind like the upcoming academic school year, his future, and what would happen in the latest chapter of _Bleach._ But no matter the topic, Tsuna's thoughts always ended up going back to the female Hibari and the fateful encounter with her.

The boy was so deep in thought that it caused him to bump into someone. The crash in itself was painful, and the landing even more so. Tsuna groaned from the ground. He noticed that the abundance of fruits and vegetables alike scattered on the ground. _Great, I just knocked over someone's groceries._

Quickly, the young boy clumsily picked up the goods and stuffed them in the bag it had fallen from. He half bowed and offered it back to the stranger he bumped into. "S-sorry!"

He heard a light chuckle in reply, causing Tsuna to become rigid. Cautiously, he looked up to see the familiar face of Sasagawa Kyoko. She was looking at him curiously, head tilted to the side and all. "It's no problem." She graciously accepted her goods back and offered Tsuna a smile.

"K-Kyoko-chan!" exclaimed Tsuna. He mentally face palmed at his idiotic reply. Here was the school idol standing right in front of him and all he manages to say was her name. _Idiot._

Kyoko blinked as she shifted the groceries in her arms. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Tsuna felt an arrow pierce straight to his chest. "Um, we were in the same class…"

The school idol sensed her mistake and quickly mended it. "Oh, you must have sat at the back of the class so I never got to formally meet you." She offered her free hand to Tsuna and offered a friendly smile. "I'm Sasagawa Kyoko. It's a nice to meet you."

Tsuna could feel himself being momentarily paralyzed. The red crept on his face quickly enough, leaving the boy in a jumbled mess. He could feel the sweat on his palms increase as he shook Kyoko's hands politely. "Ah—um—I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi. Feel free to call me Tsuna."

"Tsuna-kun, then."

 _Ba-bump._ His heart rate was increasing just from hearing Kyoko say his name. In truth, Tsuna never expected Kyoko to ever take notice to him, or even talk to him. She was just a faraway dream beyond his reach. And now here he was having a conversation with her. It almost felt euphoric.

Tsuna was knocked from his thoughts upon seeing Kyoko look distressed. She was struggling with the large paper bags in her arms—constantly shifting to find a comfortable way to hold it. Her small stature and the largeness of the bags made it slightly humorous to look at.

"Do you need any help?" Tsuna offered.

Kyoko momentarily shifted her gaze to Tsuna before glancing back at the bags. "Oh, it's not a problem." The girl gripped the bags tighter onto her chest in an attempt to keep it all together. "It's fine, see?"

The boy could see the struggle evident on her face. Although her smile was still plastered on her face, her eyebrows were scrunched together and eyes were less bright to prove her conflict. "I insist."

The school idol stared at Tsuna for a moment, studying his face. There was a brief moment of silence that caused Tsuna to internally panic. On the outside, he looked somewhat composed, but on the inside he was an anxious nightmare. _Was I too forward? Did I say something wrong?_

The girl in front of him finally relented and handed over half of her bags for Tsuna to carry. "Thank you Tsuna-kun."

"It's no problem," replied Tsuna. He attempted to sound normal from the weight of the groceries.

The two continued on towards Kyoko's house. They small talked on a various topics while having small pauses in between. The whole exchange made Tsuna realize how _human_ Kyoko was. Her fanclub made her seem immaculate and angelic, as if she was a blessing from heaven, and maybe she was. The truth of the matter was that Kyoko was a person. She was a kind person that seemed to attract everyone around her.

When they finally made it to Kyoko's house, Tsuna was tired. Her home was longer than he expected leading the brunette to be utterly exhausted, although, the thought of being with Kyoko seemed to numb the exhaustion a bit. When Tsuna saw Kyoko finally enter the gates of her home, Tsuna couldn't help a sigh of relief.

The golden haired girl quickly opened the door into her household and disappeared inside. She appeared again moments later and took the bags from Tsuna and exchanged it with a cold bottle of Ice Tea.

"Thank you again Tsuna-kun. I know how far my house is and I appreciate you helping me."

"It's never a problem, Kyoko-chan." Tsuna grinned Kyoko's way. "I enjoyed your company."

The pair simply stood in front of each other, taking comfort in each other's presence. Their little moment was interrupted from a loud _thud_ followed by an even louder _crash_ from the inside.

Kyoko looked back and sighed. "Onii-chan." She gave Tsuna an apologetic smile. "Sorry, but I have to go now." The golden haired girl shifted her gaze from the door to Tsuna. She took a deep breath before placing a quick peck on Tsuna's cheek.

Tsuna was stunned. The kiss was quick and light on his cheek. He barely registered it if not for the warmth of her breath or the ends of Kyoko's short hair tickling his face. It was a weird sensation and Tsuna wasn't sure if he liked it or not. There was this feeling inside his gut that made him feel light headed and slightly nauseous, but in a good way. Tsuna was a jumbled mess of emotions and he wasn't sure what to do with it. He was happy, surprised, and anxious all together and he wasn't quite sure where to go from there.

It was then that Tsuna realized that he _liked_ Sasagawa Kyoko. He liked how kind she was. He liked how the ends of her hair curled up with her smile. He liked how good she made him feel. Tsuna liked Kyoko and he didn't know what to do about it.

When Tsuna finally snapped out of his thoughts Kyoko was already gone, leaving him alone on her porch. It was already quite dark, the sun's rays barely illuminating the sky and Tsuna was starting to feel the night chill. The brunette stared to make his way home, still in a half daze from the whole event, his thoughts momentarily forgetting his missing friend.

* * *

It was dark by the time Tsuna got home. He didn't realize how hungry he was until his stomach started to grumble. The boy quickly entered his house to see something surprising. Nana—Tsuna's mother— was humming happily. She was still cooking—which was odd considering how it was late in the evening—and seemed almost happier.

She was wearing her green apron today and was cooking up a storm in the kitchen. There were loads of dishes prepared on the table. There was the typical Japanese dishes like omurice, tempura, tonkatsu; European dishes that Tsuna could hardly recognise; and even an assortment of Chinese food. It was practically a feast from the sheer amount and Tsuna couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. The scent of all the dishes was heavenly, all mixing together into something so delicious. He couldn't wait to try it all.

"I'm home," exclaimed Tsuna.

His mother turned back and greeted Tsuna with a grin. "Welcome back!" She quickly finished her last dish—a gigantic plateful of chow mien noodles—and set it on the table with the rest of the food.

"Wow! How lavish," said Tsuna as he admired his mother's handiwork, "what's the occasion?"

Tsuna saw his mother blush lightly and for a moment he thought his father was home. He hadn't see the man in ages and he didn't really expect him to come back. The man disappeared when Tsuna was young, far too young. He was apparently working overseas yearly and didn't get a chance to go home.

In truth, Tsuna didn't really miss him—hell—he didn't even remember him! He was barely a part of his life and Tsuna sensed he never will be. He was not going to hang onto a fairy tale and believe he will come back, that was his mother's job. That man had no right to step foot in the house he so carelessly abandoned.

The female Sawada made her way to her son and gently nudged him. "Ne, Tsu-kun. When did you plan on telling me?"

 _Huh?_ Tsuna looked at his mother in confusion. "What?"

"Did you think I was never going to find out?"

"Again, what?" Tsuna was totally lost in the conversation. His mother was acting so strangely right now that Tsuna could hardly comprehend it.

"You can't keep secrets from me _Tsu-kun._ "

Realization hit Tsuna like a ton of blocks. _Kyoko! She knows about Kyoko!_ He knew it was a radical assumption, but what else could it be? _Motherly instinct must be more powerful than I thought._

Seeing his reaction caused Tsuna's mother to erupt in a fit of giggles. She placed a gentle hand on her son's shoulder. "Why don't you call your little friend down from your room for dinner? She's been waiting for a while now."

 _She?_ The statement left Tsuna even more bewildered. _Who on Earth is it?_

Tsuna crept up the stairs and approached the door to his bedroom. He hesitantly grabbed the doorknob and slowly opened the door. There on his bed was Kairi. She was wearing a set of his blue pajamas and was leisurely reading one of his additions of _JUMP_ magazine while munching on a bag of chips on the side. Her eyes were red and her hair was a mess. Tsuna couldn't help but wonder what the hell happened to his friend.

Sensing his gaze, grey eyes met brown. Kairi grinned and gave a mock solute Tsuna's way. "Yo."

* * *

 **A/N: When I said romance, I meant the whole deal. I am going to add conflict, rivals, awkward situations, and all that good sexual tension :333**

 **I want to make Tsuna as dynamic and real as possible, and that means interacting and liking other characters. Kyoko is probably Kairi's biggest rival in terms of affections and I want to properly portray how both of them affect Tsuna. This also goes with the theme of Love vs Infatuation that I decided to put in.** **I suppose the real question now is who will be Tsuna's rival will be for Kairi's affections? :3 (I already know who it is, but I'll leave everyone guessing)**

 **I had trouble in this chapter—mainly in Kairi's POV. It took me quite a while to invasion the proper scenario and I could only hope it turns out well. Let me know, okay?**

 **Thank you everyone for the favs, follows, and reviews. I'll have more of Tsuna's POV next time around.**

 **Cheers!**

 **-Angelic Bliss**


	4. Chapter 4 A Little Bit Closer

**Disclaimer: KHR, it's characters, setting, and plot belong to Amano Akira. The following original characters, and original plots belong to Angelic Bliss. All rights reserved.**

* * *

 **.**

 **Chapter 4. A Little Bit Closer**

 **.**

* * *

 **Tsunayoshi**

The walls were thin, Tsuna realised this early on in his childhood. Sometimes he would hear his mother's muffled voice from the other side. She would be talking to his father on the phone, pleading him to come home. She tried to be quiet—her voice was low enough and barely made a whisper. But the walls were thin, and Tsuna could hear everything.

Tonight it wasn't about his mother. Tonight Tsuna heard a new voice that was unfamiliar in the household. Tonight he heard Kairi crying.

It was hours past dinner time and Tsuna could still remember how quiet she was. She didn't speak as much as she did the first day that he met her and her eyes were still swollen by the time Kairi went up to her own room.

Kairi was assigned the room to the right of his. It was small, quaint, with similar structure like Tsuna's room. The room was one of the many guestrooms located in the household and was designed with neutral colours.

At first it was awkward. Her voice was muffled as if she had her face pressed on a pillow. But Tsuna recognized the sounds. The whimpers, the huskiness of the voice—they were all familiar to him.

She was crying. Kairi was crying and there was something in his gut that didn't want it to happen. The girl sounded as sad and distressed as the last time he saw her. This time Hibari wasn't there. This time she was alone and Tsuna couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards her.

He knew there was something sad about crying alone. At first, Tsuna thought that crying alone meant being strong. It meant that a person could deal with all the anguish and still be strong. No one would know that the person cried, no one would assume that they were weak. That's how Tsuna dealt with things. But crying alone meant dealing with all the sadness alone, and Tsuna didn't want Kairi to feel that. He knew that the isolation hurt as much as the sadness.

With every ounce of grit, Tsuna got out of bed and went over to Kairi room. He sat up from his bed and went towards the door of his room. Being his clumsy self, Tsuna almost slipped on a stray manga on his floor, but found balance in the end. He prayed that he didn't end up falling. There were enough bumps on his head as it is from the bullies and he didn't need any more from himself.

Tsuna cautiously exited his room. He made sure to open and close the door slowly in hopes to not wake up his mother or startle the crying girl next door.

When he got to the bedroom door, Tsuna paused. He was nervous. He didn't know Kairi that well and he didn't want to intrude on her. The brunette shook all the doubts away and opened the door…well at least he tried to.

The eleven year old only managed to open it slightly. _Something's blocking it._ Tsuna let out a puff and continued to push on the door. There was a loud _creek—_ which Tsuna couldn't help but cringe to—and the boy successfully opened the door a good quarter. Tsuna easily slipped in and was met with mayhem.

The room that was perfectly neat yesterday was in chaos today. The area was in such disarray. There were clothes everywhere, and books laid on the ground. The dresser that was supposed to be under the window was moved to block the doorway, and the chair that went with the desk was laid on the ground. The green comforter that would have been laid neatly on the bed was instead crumpled up forming a gigantic ball. Tsuna could only assume Kairi was inside it. The whimpering in the ball confirmed his theory.

Tsuna walked over Kairi's bedside, while pushing some of the mess out of the way in an attempt to make a path for himself. He came across a crumpled piece of paper and raised a brow. He bent down and picked it up. Unfolding it, he saw the words _Wo Ai Ni_ written neatly in the centre of it. Carefully, the brunette folded the sheet neatly and placed it on the bedside table.

He sat tensely at the corner of the bed. Tsuna came into the room with such determination, but when he actually appeared he wasn't sure what to do. The boy thought about asking Kairi what had happened. Maybe if she opened up it would hurt less. Tsuna immediately shook his head at the thought. He didn't want to pressure his friend into talking about something that visibly hurting her at the moment. If anything it, would only end badly for the both of them and the thought of ruining their relationship hurt him.

So he started talking. He started talking about his life and how crappy it was. He started talking about school and all the displeasure that came with it. He started talking. It surprising how easily the words came out. Tsuna assumed that he kept it all in for so long that it only felt right that he was venting.

Usually he would suppress it. Tsuna knew that supressing his emotions were not exactly healthy, but he didn't feel like there was anyone to talk to about it. No on in school liked him and his mother hardly cared. There was no one there for Tsuna to pour out his feelings for. There was no one there to listen.

Talking felt good. All the weight on his shoulders suddenly lifted and there was nothing holding Tsuna back. Emotions if what made him human and it only felt right to express them.

Tsuna kept talking for a good fifteen minutes. He was more or less rambling on his part, but the brunette thinks it helps. He didn't hear any crying and the whimpering went silent long ago, but he still continued to speak.

"I don't want to be useless anymore. Being useless had gotten me nowhere, but then again, being Tsuna didn't really bring me to high places either. I want to do great things, but great things are only ever offered to great people. It'd be stupid to think that I would ever achieve something like that."

"But you are great."

Tsuna whipped his head back and started at Kairi. He was shocked to see her out of the cocoon that she made herself and was now sitting upright with her back resting on the wall. She was still wearing his blue pajamas, but in an unruly way. Her eyes weren't as red as expected, which made Tsuna wonder how long had she been sitting there.

"You're awake…"

Kairi let a small huff out causing her bangs to momentarily life in the air. "It's kind of hard to when someone's telling their life story next you."

Tsuna gave an uneasy laugh Kairi's way. "S-sorry."

"I appreciated it nonetheless." Kairi licked her lips, her eyes never leaving Tsuna's. "I meant it though, about you being great. Never forget how wonderful you are."

The male Sawada felt his mouth go dry. There she goes Kairi making him feel warm in his stomach. The feeling was still so unnatural to him.

"Are you okay, Kairi?" asked Tsuna. The thought kept bothering him since he first saw his friend in his room. Something must have happened to greatly affect the girl. At dinner Kairi composed herself well, almost to the point where Tsuna wouldn't have expected anything was wrong if not to for the sheer fact that her eyes were still swollen.

"I'm just…sad. There's really nothing to worry about."

"I thought being friends gave me the right to be worried." Tsuna stared evenly at Kairi. "We are friends, aren't we?"

"Yes." The answer was immediate causing Tsuna to smile. "But I don't think I've been a really good one lately."

"I know, but you have a whole lifetime to make it up to me, believe it."

The statement caused Kairi to smile. Tsuna couldn't help but feel proud to be able to make her beam like that.

"Of course." She offered her pinky towards the male Sawada. "It's a promise of a lifetime."

Tsuna entwined his pinky with hers and gently shook it, sealing the deal. It was a promise of a lifetime, a commitment set up by two people who had a whole life of happiness, excitement, and love ahead of them. _It's a promise._

* * *

"Ah, Nana-san! This looks absolutely splendid!"

A pout. "Mou, Kairi-chan, didn't I tell you to call me Mama?"

"Sorry, Mama. You just look so young! It confuses me."

The two females shared a giggle at the table and Tsuna couldn't help but feel so out of the loop. His mother and his friend were interacting with each other in such familiarity that it overwhelmed Tsuna.

It was weird seeing Kairi in his house. She brought with her a different aura in his once gloomy household and in all honestly, it was kind of refreshing and weird all together. The first dinner together was not ideal, but upon waking up the next day Tsuna witnessed Kairi and his mother happily chatting together as they set up the table for breakfast.

Usually Tsuna would dread eating with his mother. It was a time that would normally involve silence. The mother son duo weren't as close as expected, especially since his father left. The two grew distant since Tsuna's father left and the gap seemed to widen since Tsuna became more useless throughout the years. There wasn't really anything left to talk about between the two, nothing to relate on.

Tsuna's mother expected too much of him. She wanted him to be strong, to be manly, to be like his father. But that wasn't Tsuna. He didn't want to be like his dad. He wanted to be himself, but being himself ended up labelling him _dame_ and suddenly Tsuna wasn't so sure which was worse.

With Kairi here, there was a bustling of conversation. She was a curious case on towards both Sawadas.

"I made some of the dishes you suggested, Kairi-chan."

Kairi gave a snort. "You made _all_ the dishes I suggested, Mama."

"I couldn't help it! It's not like we get guest every day, especially one of Tsu-kun's little friends."

Tsuna found himself subjected to Kairi's gaze and he could see the laughter in them. "Tsu-kun, huh?"

He could feel his ears heat up, and Tsuna was sure that the pink on his face was evident. "It's just a nickname."

"Last time I checked, you didn't like nicknames."

"Correction. I didn't like _your_ nicknames."

The two stifled in a laugh as Tsuna's mother waved them off. "Now, now. Enough of that. Let's eat."

The trio sat down and chanted in unison "Itadakimasu" before digging into the food.

As Tsuna expected, the food was as good as it looked. If the scent wasn't temping enough, the taste was simply heavenly. Tsuna knew his mother was gifted, but he sometimes wondered why she never made a career from it. His assumed it's because she had to take care of him.

Kairi moaned from in front of him as she took a bite of the sweet and sour pork on her plate. "Kami, is this delicious." The girl eagerly took more servings. "You really need to tell me the recipe for this Mama."

"You cook, Kairi?" questioned Tsuna

The girl in question ducked her head and gave a sheepish smile. "Not very well…"

Tsuna watched his mother give a heartfelt laugh. It wasn't something he had heard lately and he was glad that his mother is still capable of the action. "I don't mind teaching you. I've always wanted a daughter of my own to pass on my recipes."

Both Kairi and Tsuna blushed a healthy shade. Tsuna knew there wasn't any real harm in his mother's words, but he couldn't help but think that she may have been insinuating something.

Kairi cleared her voice and went on with the conversation. "Did you think of passing on the recipes to Tsuna? I'm sure it would be better to keep your secrets culinary secrets in the family."

"Tsuna never really shown interest in it."

 _You've never bothered teaching me._ The thought kept ringing in his head as Tsuna continued to eat. His mother didn't have much hope towards him, and so, the thought of it just seemed to go over her head.

"Besides, if it all goes well the recipes will still end up being within the family."

Tsuna found himself choking on a dumping. Reaching for the glass of water, he swallowed a mouthful of the liquid to clear his throat. The brunette finished the whole glass and gave a sigh of relief before continuing to gape at his mother.

Who knew that his mother was the embarrassing kind? Tsuna never really brought anyone from school because of his lack of friends. His bullies made sure he had no one to lean on. It was a lonely life, but if he knew sooner that she would be the target of such _uncomfortable_ situations—from his mother of all people—the Tsuna would have preferred to not bring anyone home.

Brown eyes from the male Sawada made its way to Kairi. She was frozen mid bite, with her chopsticks still hanging in the air. She looked as shocked as he was from the situation as her eyes seemed to bulge from her sockets. When the black haired girl released from the shock, she locked eyes with Tsuna. They quickly averted his stare in favour for the food on her plate. From his spot Tsuna could tell she was just as red as he was.

A happy giggle from his mother told Tsuna that she was enjoying this—a bit too much it would seem.

The discussion continued easily enough. The topics changed—to Tsuna and Kairi's delight—and he found himself enjoying the event. It was different from what he was used to, but in a way that made Tsuna want more. His mother looked happy. Kairi looked happy. He was happy, and Tsuna could only hope for more events like this.

* * *

She had been in his house for a couple of days and Tsuna could tell that Kairi was getting bored. The duo had explored every inch of the house, read all the manga, and played all the games. There was just nothing left to do that was fun.

Kairi and Tsuna sat on the couch in the living room slumped onto each other. The television was on in the background while the children discussed what they could do.

"We could read more manga?" suggested Tsuna.

"We did that yesterday, _twice._ I can only take seeing BAMF Ichigo for so long before it starts to get dull."

"That's true…but he was really cool looking in the latest chapter."

"Yeah," mulled Kairi before her eyes widened in awe. She shook the boy beside her in excitement. "I know what to do!"

Tsuna, in his disorientated state, poked Kairi on the side, resulting in the girl to jerk away from him and be sent into laughing fits. She quickly composed herself and sent a mock glare at the brunette. "Hey! What did I say about aiming at my tickle spot?"

"What did I say about shaking me?"

The two stared at each other for a moment before laughing it off. Kairi stopped and sent Tsuna a serious look. "I meant what I said. This tickle spot is a no-touch zone."

"Yeah, yeah" was Tsuna's only reply before he continued to munch on the strawberry pocky his mother had given them early on. "So what is this great idea of yours?"

"Let's go exploring."

"But we already explored the whole house." This part was true to the word. It was Kairi's idea to 'get to know' the house she would be living in for Kami knows how long. They ended up finding some interesting things like stale Halloween candy from underneath the sofa or his father's secret stash of _Playboy m_ agazine.

"No, silly. I'm talking about the neighborhood. I have barely seen Nanimori and I want to look around while I get the chance."

Kairi kept looking at Tsuna with a look that meant she wasn't going to budge. The boy relented to her stare. "Fine, but only in the neighborhood."

He didn't want to go far and risk seeing the bullies. He didn't mind their torture as much if he was alone, but the fact that Kairi would be with him changed everything. She could get bullied along with him and that was the last thing Tsuna wanted. He knew he couldn't do much, but he wanted to protect Kairi. There was something in his gut that wanted to protect everyone he cared for. _If only I was strong enough._

"Sure thing!"

Tsuna could tell that Kairi was hardly listening to him anymore as she went off to prepare for their next great adventure.

* * *

"Tsuna look!" Kairi was jumping on her spot and was pointing eagerly at a flock of ducklings who were swimming in a pond.

What was meant to be a neighborhood tour ended up being entirely different. Kairi ended up being so indulged with every little thing she saw went running for it, evidentially leaving Tsuna to chase after her. They've been to the park, the shopping district, and even to the elementary school Tsuna attends. It was already seeming like an exhausting trip altogether.

The girl shoved the lion backpack—which was actually Tsuna's, he could not stress this fact enough. Kairi had a habit of stealing his stuff lately like the dinosaur shirt she was wearing—off and opened the zipper going across its belly. Inside Tsuna could only gape at the amount of snacks stuffed into the animal. There was a melon pan, _Pretz_ in a few flavors _,_ corn puffs, and a variety of chips.

"You brought food with you?"

She shrugged. "It was in case I got hungry."

One of the facts that Tsuna learned about Kairi during her stay was that she was a sugar addict. Every sugary snack that was stocked in his household was gone within two days and he could only blame Kairi for it. The girl was supposedly deprived of sugary snacks of any kind in her home, and took the opportunity to consume the guilty pleasure when she had the chance.

"Let's go feed them," suggested Kairi. She was already on her way onto the edge of the pond before Tsuna could accept.

"I don't know, Kairi…" Tsuna looked around. If there were ducklings around these parts, then the mother duck was bound to be near. He knew what a mother animal would go to great length to protect their younglings and Tsuna did not want to cross a mother duck. They were vicious.

"C'mon! It's be fun, promise."

The girl bent down and broke a piece of her melon bread. She outstretched her hand towards the young ducks who swam about a foot away from her. Immediately, the ducklings swam towards Kairi and ate the offered food from her hand.

The male Sawada stayed at his spot a few feet behind Kairi. With his luck, something bad was bound to happen and he didn't want jinx it.

Kairi looked behind her and saw that Tsuna had yet to move from his spot. She had this mischievous look in her eyes that made Tsuna nervous. He watched as she walked back over to his side with the ducklings eagerly following her for more food.

Tsuna shrieked and attempted to run away, but Kairi had already gripped onto his wrist. She pulled him downwards to the duckling's levels and pressed his hand onto the head of one of the young birds in front of him.

Instead of the pain that Tsuna had expected, he met the feeling of soft fuzz of the bird. It was happily chirping from under his palm as it ate the crumbs that Kairi laid out on the ground for them. There was something amazing about interacting with them. There was no criticisms or anxiety. They had accepted him fully and that meant a lot to him.

Tsuna grinned Kairi's way, feeling proud of the situation. It was in this moment that Tsuna realized how close she was. Her hand was no longer gripped his wrist, but she still invaded his comfort zone in a way that seemed totally acceptable to the boy. She came into his world as an anomaly and stayed as a significant being in his life.

Kairi kept looking at the ducks, giving Tsuna the perfect view of the details of her face. From his view, Tsuna noticed how long her lashes were. They were stretched lovingly outwards and curled up slightly to the sky. It was a small detail of Kairi's that Tsuna found beautiful.

A loud _QUACK_ was heard startling both Tsuna and Kairi. There emerging from the bushes beside the pond was the mother duck.

The duck was visibly larger than any normal duck that Tsuna had ever seen, and looked as intimidating as it sounded. Tsuna sent a wary glance at the mother duck. She looked quite intimidating as the animal held his stare. The boy heard a loud quack from the mother before it started to charge straight at them.

Tsuna shrieked and grabbed onto Kairi's forearm and made a run for it. The duck seemed determined to ensure some sort of revenge on the two for ducknapping her kin and kept dashing for her prey.

They continued to run until they reached home.

* * *

He was tired. Seeing the familiar gates of his home automatically caused Tsuna to relax from the run in with the demon duck, which ultimately lead all the adrenaline to leave the male Sawada, leaving only exhaustion in its place.

The two slumped over the sofa completely at bliss at resting their tired limbs. It was quiet besides the heavy breathing of Kairi and Tsuna.

Kairi started to laugh and Tsuna couldn't help but stare at her in disbelief. "How are you so happy!? We were almost attacked!"

"But it was fun wasn't it?" asked Kairi. Her eyes were twinkling in that familiar way.

Tsuna sighed at her behavior, but he couldn't help but agree with her. It was fun. Having a friend was fun. Tsuna found himself generally enjoying his life, even if it meant all the bad times, having a friend meant looking forward to the good times even more.

* * *

 **AN: I think I've made it too dramatic so far, so I'm going to tread away from those waters for now. It's still the beginning of the story and I don't want to push every single twist I have at the start of it. For now, beware of the fluff. I'm keeping it light to put less stress on the readers and the characters in the story. I'll leave it a bit lighthearted for now before more drama, and the eventual time skip.**

 **I don't think you guys know how much I appreciate the favs/ follows/ reviews that I get from you all. I already have over 50 follows and that alone really means a lot to me. To commemorate my appreciation omakes, omakes everywhere!**

 **Till next time,**

 **-Angelic Bliss**

* * *

 **Omake 1**

 **Nana**

He was such a useless son. Ever so clumsy, bad grades, a coward—Nana learned not to expect much from him. Tsuna was just not going to get far and that troubled the woman.

She wished that he would be more like his father. The woman knew that Tsuna didn't really know his father, but she hoped that some of his Iemitsu's genes would kick in one day. Iemitsu was just so dashing, charismatic, and an overall ball of sun. It didn't take long for her to be completely mesmerized by the man.

Tsuna paled in comparison to the man and it honestly disappointed her. Iemitsu was strong and appealing. Tsuna was clumsy and dull. Her son has barely done anything in his life and Nana was starting to get worried that he never will. He was always alone and isolated and that worried the woman. She didn't want Iemitsu to come home thinking she's failed to raise her son.

So she smiled. She smiled because it was easier to pretend to be happy and eventually Nana started to feel as happy as she pretended to be. She ignored that fact that she didn't see her husband. She ignored the fact that she felt so trapped in the house—in her life. She ignored the fact that her life was not what she imagined it to be.

It was a surprise for the stay-at-home mom to see Kairi. Of course she knew of it before hand—her husband called, informing her of a guest—but she never expected it to be the daughter of her former friend. Hibari Nami was a close friend of the couple for years and it pained Nana when hearing of her passing. She was a remarkable person and Nana could only wish her friend was still alive.

Seeing Kairi was a shock. She looked so much like her mother. Warm grey eyes, petite body, thin lips. Nana was close to collapsing.

It was an even bigger surprise to hear that she was Tsuna's friend from the girl. Tsuna had a friend. The thought seemed so unbelievable. Nana was sure that Tsuna wasn't even capable of making friends. He was socially awkward by definition. No matter how many play dates she set up when he was a child Tsuna just never really connected with anyone and it seemed to only get worse at school.

They interacted swimmingly. The two were like two peas in a pod, always together—always thinking together.

And Nana didn't think it would get any better, until she saw Tsuna smile. It had been a long time since he smiled genuinely. She forgot how much his smiled affected her, how worth it, it had been to see her child happy. The female Sawada lost hope in Tsuna far too many times and forgot that Tsuna was worth it. He was her child and he was worth it.

Kairi brought something in the household that wasn't present in a long time. She brought excitement, happiness, love. Nana couldn't help but feel so grateful to the girl that changed everything.

* * *

 **Omake 2**

 **Iemitsu**

The CEDEF leader was surprised to get a call from Hibari Kyoya. He hadn't heard of the boy since he was eight and it was unusual to get a call from him.

"Hey, Kyo-kun. Finally decided to call?"

"Shut Up. I'm here to call in a favour."

 _A favour, huh?_ It was strange for the boy to suddenly call in what was owed. Iemitsu owed Nami his life. It must have been pretty important for the young Hibari heir to consider calling it in.

"What is it that you wanted?" The blonde grinned playfully. "Don't tell me you want the newest _Nintendo_ stationcoming out."

He heard a growl from the other end. "Don't test me. As if I want something a trivial as that."

"Didn't stop you from asking for one last time around."

"It was for my sister and you and I know it!" That was a lie and Iemitsu knew it. He saw the pictures of both the siblings aggressively playing on the _Wii_. It was cute and Iemitsu found himself enjoying seeing the siblings having so much fun together.

Iemitsu gave a hearty laugh. He forgot how much fun it was to mess with the eldest Hibari child. Even if Kyoya was a grouch, the male Sawada knew exactly what buttons to push. After all, Nami practically gave him an instruction guide when he was assigned to babysit the boy. "So what exactly do you want from me Kyoya? Sounds quite serious coming from you."

"It is." The boy paused, as if hesitating to continue. "Someone wants to kill us."

"I'm pretty sure being born in the yakuza ensured that." The CEDEF leader knew that the life Kyoya and Kairi have been a dangerous one. The enemies that their father had extended onto them, leading the duo to constantly be on alert. There was no time to act like a civilian, to be idle. The world of the mafia left no one safe.

"Yes, but all those enemies before were weaklings, hardly a threat. Nothing I couldn't handle."

"And this one is different?"

"This one's _risky._ I don't want to take my chances"

"So you want a safe house?" the blonde began, "a place to keep the both of you secure?"

"No. I want a place to keep Kairi safe."

The man frowned. He knew Kyoya was strong and capable, but the thought of him being in harm's way was unnerving. Nami was his friend and it irked him to think that he couldn't keep her children safe. "You're not going?"

A scoff was enough to confirm Iemitsu's thoughts. "As if I would run away from such an invalid. The man is a herbivore. I'll deal with him myself."

"I don't want to be the one to tell her you're dead, Kyoya. I don't want your sister to cry over something that could be easily handled."

"Stay out of it. This is my battle to overcome."

Iemitsu sighed and tugged his collar. The stress was already getting to him and he couldn't help but think of what kind of a mess Kyoya got himself into. "You can send Kairi to my house in Nanimori. I'm sure Nana wouldn't mind."

"Hm" was the last thing he heard from the Hibari heir before the familiar dial tone on the phone, signalling that he hung up. _Still rude as ever._

Iemitsu rubbed his neck to get rid of the tension before calling his wife. He had a house guest to prepare for.

* * *

 **Omake 3**

 **Nami**

"Come here Kyoya!"

The Lady Hibari heard the small pitter patter of her eldest son. The rice paper door opened slightly and she saw the curious gaze of Kyoya. He was just three years old was just so painstakingly adorable. Maybe Nami was being biased, but she can't help but spoil her first born with loads of love.

"Did you need me, Kaa-chan?"

Nami nodded sofly. "I wanted you to meet someone special." She patted a small hand beside her indicating for her son to sit.

Kyoya walked over to his mother. He trekked over easily enough—showing no struggle whatsoever—as he stood tall and dignified. Nami loved how mature her son was, but she couldn't help but miss the days that Kyoya was so dependent on her. He was growing up to quickly and Nami found it hard to keep up with it.

The male Hibari sat where he was told and looked around the room. There was no one else in the room besides the mother-son duo causing the young boy to frown. "Who did you want me to meet? There's no one else in the room."

Nami laughed lightly. "The person I want you to meet is someone very special."

"Even more special than the Hibari elders? Even more special than uncle?" exclaimed Kyoya eagerly. Ever since he met Fon, Kyoya had been so fascinated with his uncle. The fact that he was some kind of genius baby that was even stronger than his father intrigued him largely and Kyoya aimed to beat him in the future.

The Lady Hibari gave a nod. She grabbed his small hand and gently led it to her stomach area. Nami gently pressed Kyoya's hand onto her stomach and smiled lightly. "This is Kairi."

Kyoya scrunched his eyebrows. "You named your stomach?"

Nami had to pause for a moment before giving out a full on laugh. She knew that her son didn't know any better, but the statement sent her crumbling. Seeing Kyoya's irritation, Nami suppressed any more of her giggles. "Sorry Kyoya. I didn't mean to offend you. I just wanted you to meet your little sister."

"My little sister?" Kyoya looked at her with those innocent grey eyes, and Nami was close to dying right then and there.

 _Compose yourself._ "Yes. She's in Kaa-chan's tummy right now and she won't be born until a couple of months later."

Both of Kyoya's hands were mildly fixed on her abdomen. His eyes were slightly wide in awe in the recent revelation, as if not fully comprehending the situation. "Is that why you're wearing loose clothing lately?"

 _Clever boy._ Nami knew Kyoya was exceptionally bright for his age. He took after his father intellectually, but in terms of appearance, Kyoya leaned heavily on her side of the family. It was like the boy was another version of Fon.

Nami nodded and shifted from her red cheongsam. It was meant for maternity as it hung more loosely on the body while opening outwards at the bottom. The Lady Hibari liked to wear the traditional clothes of her country as it made her feel more at home that way.

"You're really smart Kyoya." Nami ruffled her son's hair and gave him a quick kiss on the crown on his head. "I have a special mission for you Kyoya."

"A special mission?"

"Yes. Are you listening carefully?"

Kyoya gave a firm nod. All his determination was seen in his grey eyes.

"I want you to love your sister." Seeing her son look quite lost, Nami elaborated. "I want you to love her and that means you have to be the best big brother to her that you will ever be. Kairi is going to be your younger sibling, so you have to watch over her."

Her son look quite lost and Nami didn't blame him. He was still young and was already being given a large responsibility. _I can only dread on what Hiroji has in mind for him,_

Kyoya gave a steady nod and agreed with his mother's terms causing her to smile. She didn't doubt her son because he was Hibari Kyoya. He was her legacy and that alone meant everything.


	5. Chapter 5 The End of the Beginning

**Disclaimer: KHR, its characters, setting, and plot belong to Amano Akira. The following original character(s), and original plots belong to Angelic Bliss. All rights reserved.**

* * *

 **.**

 **Chapter 5. The End of the Beginning**

 **.**

* * *

 **Kairi**

Kairi was _dying_.

At first, she was dying to escape. She wanted to see what was beyond the walls of the estate, to see new people, to try new things. There was something so magical about being out of the estate. It was like a whole other world, with a whole different culture. Everything was so alien. The people acted strange and so untraditional. If Kairi were any other Hibari, she would be disgusted, but she was Kairi and everything was just so fascinating.

Then she was dying to fight with her brother. To watch each other's backs as they fought anything coming their way.

She could help. She could take down any man that would ever even dare touch her—them! He didn't need to do this alone. He didn't need to carelessly shove her aside. She was capable. He was capable. Together they would be unstoppable. The killers can come, the assassins could try, but they would never be able to kill them, let alone touch them. Because they would be together.

But apparently that wasn't an option. Apparently he could so much better alone. Apparently he didn't need her.

He was always like this. Kyoya would always be a lone wolf when he needed to take care of something. He was never a team player, and Kairi thinks that he will never be. There was no 'we' for her older brother, only him and his prey. No matter how many times she wanted to help her big brother, no matter how many times she even bothered asking, the ending will always be the same.

It was only them. It was them against the world, and all he could do was push her away. And now, Kairi was alone. She was alone, and scared, and sad, and felt so utterly useless.

And where was he? Fighting against a whole house full of killers like the brute he was. Kyoya was her older brother. He was supposed to be with her. He was supposed to read books with her. He was supposed to watch the latest episodes of _Gintama_ with her.

Now she's dying to go back. Back to the place that shunned her, hated her, the place that made her grow without consent.

She honestly thought she would never say those words. Kairi dreamed of permanently leaving the place. She would bring Kyoya and Tetsu, and they could all live together with her uncle in China. Kyoya would be able to challenge uncle whenever he wanted, and Tetsu would watch him fight at the side while he silently cheered for her brother, and Kairi…Kairi would be happy.

Kairi was dying. Life has left her faded and bruised and the female Hibari thinks that she might not ever recover from it. The feelings were crushing her every being making it hard to breath, and even harder to think. She was alive, but she was fading. She was fine, but she was suffocating.

She was dying to a point where she forgot to live.

* * *

Tsuna came into her room that first night totally awkward. The female Hibari deduced that he might have heard her crying and felt the need to console her in some way, but he wasn't really good at it.

She could feel the bed shift at the bottom corner, signally to Kairi that he sat there. He continued to sit there for a good five minutes—she counted—until he started talking.

Kairi didn't know why the brunette felt the need to talk about his life, but it opened her eyes in a sense. He was just as troubled as she was. There was just so much shit clouding her vision, that she forgot that other people might have had it worse. People like Tsuna.

He was a bit of a hopeless case. They boy just never had anything really good in his life. She heard his talk about his bad grades, the bullies, his ambitions. It was awful, pitiful even. But the fact that he continued to survive and strive inspired Kairi. She wanted to be like him.

They were so alike in so many ways, and the female Hibari started to feel guilty that she ignored him during dinner. She didn't mean it, honestly, but Kairi felt so small. She felt so crushed and upset that any words that wanted to come out ended up dying before the girl could really say anything.

She wanted to change. She didn't want to cry anymore. Not for such a hopeless cause. She won't waste her tears anymore, not when they've run out. She wanted to be happy and she'll be damned if anyone ever tries to take that away from her again.

If ending up at Tsuna's house was some sort of destined fate, then Kairi wanted to enjoy it as much as she can. In truth, the heiress didn't expect to ever see Tsuna again. The walls in her house just kept getting higher and Kairi was afraid that she was at her limit. Sure, she was still going to try, but there were just so many obstacles piling up. There was only so much the girl could handle.

They made a promise that night. It was momentous, extraordinary, and hopeful. There was a future that came with a promise. A future that ensured laughter, smiles, persistence. A future that Kairi could look forward to.

* * *

 **Tsunayoshi**

"C'mon, Tsuna!"

It was around dawn that Kairi felt the need to climb a tree. Of course having a companion meant having to drag Tsuna with her. It was barely six in the morning and the boy already felt the lack of sleep getting to him.

"Kairi! Why on earth are we awake at the brink of dawn climbing a tree?" gasped the boy. He was hardly half way up the tree in his front yard and he honestly didn't think he was going to get any higher. There was a reason why Tsuna was never really good at gym.

He heard the echoing giggled of his only friend coming from higher up the tree. The girl actually started after the brunette—promptly after giving Tsuna a boost up the tree—but already proved to be more athletic out of the two. "I don't want you to miss it!"

 _Miss what?_ Tsuna was still entirely groggy and currently lacked the capacity to really comprehend the situation.

Skinny arms went over to reach for the branch above. Its bark was smooth to the finish, allowing for easy handling, and Tsuna was sure that his grip was good enough to get a steady hold on the limb of the tree. The only real problem was the male Sawada's lack of upper body strength—or any type of strength really. Using all his strength, Tsuna pushed himself forward and continued with his trek upwards. He could feel the leaves of the tree tickle the exposed parts of his skin, but he learned to ignore it in favour of actually proceeding on with his quest.

Tsuna found himself climbing for about twelve before promptly sitting beside Kairi. She sat on one of the larger branches near the top of the tree, allowing for the both of them to sit together.

The brunette didn't really understand the whole point of the activity until it happened.

 _Woah,_ was the only thought that Tsuna could think of at the moment. The sky erupted in warm colours in such disposition that shocked him to the bone. Yellows, Oranges, and reds stretched to the horizon, successfully meshing with the blue that once overtook the night sky. The small amount of clouds in the sky blocked the immediate rays of sun slightly creating in itself separate beams of the illuminated sky into different directions. He looked at the sky as it was endless, spreading itself in such a way that engulfed every living being on the earth and protected it—watched over it. It was dazzling. It was magnificent. It was so like Kairi to show him something is amazing.

Tsuna never really had the chance to see the sunrise. He often woke up later in the day, but upon experiencing it himself, Tsuna felt like he was missing out on life. He never expected anything from the world. It had given him nothing good until he met Kairi. The male Sawada was starting to experience the greatness of the world in ways that he would never imagine.

"Is this what you wanted me to see? The sunrise?"

Kairi nodded. "It's the times like this that made me love the sky." Kairi gaze lifted upwards as she reached out to a ray of sunlight above her with such a serene look that Tsuna couldn't help but be amazed. The sun illuminated her whole being, sending the girl in a glowing state.

He felt his heart speed up in an unhealthy rhythm, but he wasn't an anxious mess like Tsuna was when he met Kyoko. No, Tsuna felt like he could do anything. She made him feel empowered in ways that Tsuna had never imagined. He felt confident around her—like anything good was possible. And perhaps Tsuna was wrong when he said he hated the world all those years ago. He started to like it for what it was: a potential to be something good.

"Thank you," started Tsuna, "for bringing me here that is."

Kairi looked at his direction and gave him a bright smile that seemed almost more radiant than the sun.

* * *

 **Kairi**

Kairi didn't really know what to feel about Sasagawa Kyoko. She randomly appeared when both Tsuna and Kairi were at the park.

At first it was just mild curiosity. The girl seemed nice enough, the smile on her face ensured it, and Kairi was sure that she wasn't a threat—not a physical one at least. But there was an emotion within Kairi that was bubbling up. An emotion that she was used to. Kairi was jealous.

Tsuna was Kairi's first ever friend and she wasn't really in the mood to share, but here was Kyoko practically stealing him away.

Well, she wasn't _exactly_ stealing him away. If anything the male Sawada was just talking to the girl in front of her, but Kairi couldn't but help but feel left out. They were talking about stuff that she never experienced before like school, and amusement parks. Kairi started to feel less and less attached to the group.

"I hope we get to be in the same class again, Tsuna-kun. You could sit with Hana and I during lunch!" exclaimed the golden haired girl. She sent Tsuna one of her glowing smiles—Kairi learned to be immune from it—which immediately sent the brunette into a red faced frenzy.

"I l-look forward to it," stammer Tsuna. He stood so rigidly with his palms firmly in a fist.

Kyoko peered onto her pink watch on her wrist. She let out a small gasp. "Ah! I'm going to be late meeting up Hana! It was nice seeing you again Tsuna-kun." Her eyes met Kairi's, and she gave her a polite smile. "You too, Hibari-san." The female Sasagawa gave one final wave before she ran off.

Tsuna was still in his drunk love state and hadn't really fully registered the fact that Kyoko was gone. He had this lovesick look on his face that irritated Kairi to the bone.

"If you keep that stupid look on your face, it's going to stay like that forever."

The brunette snapped from his look and gave Kairi this unbearable smile. "Can I help it? She's just so—"

"—Fake—"

"—Incredible."

From the way he sighed her name, Kairi could tell there was no budging coming from him. He was too possessed by Sasagawa Kyoko, and Kairi couldn't really blame him. Kyoko was cute, had this rich shade of hazel for eyes, and seemed to love everyone she talked to.

Kairi wanted to like her, honestly. She seemed like a great person to be friends with. But Kyoko was everything she wasn't. Her innocence was her strong point. It's what made her so attractive and so safe to be around. Kairi on the other hand lived the sin of her family's name. She knew far too much and that's made her so distrustful to some and threatening to others. Sure the girl let her guard down towards some people, but life in the yakuza made it hard to ignore the possibility of attack.

It was a horrible way of living, but it's not something Kairi can easily be rehabilitated away from. Her intelligence in certain aspects in life may have deterred her social skills, but it is what helped her gain the advantage through the lies, deceit, and hate that came in the real world.

* * *

Kairi was going to say it. She knew it was important to say it, especially to important people. So it was decided. She was going to say it.

The female Hibari tugged on the arm of the male beside her, effectively getting his attention. He immediately stopped swinging on the wooden swings at the park and looked at his friend curiously. Brown eyes met her grey ones. Taking a deep breath, Kairi started.

"I love you."

She watched as Tsuna's face blew up in flame as he fidgeted in the red t-shirt he was wearing. He dropped the rainbow popsicle that he was previously relishing and the male gave her a look as he tried to calm down. "Y-you can't just say that!"

"Why not?" Truly, Kairi didn't understand. One of the lessons so engraved in her mind was the importance of saying 'I love you'. It was a lesson that her mother taught her, and still continues to be something that Kairi will carry on with her for the rest of her life.

"Because I don't like you like that!"

 _Ouch._ Kairi couldn't help but flinch from the comment. The girl hasn't really felt attracted to anyone—she was ten and deprived of normal social interactions, can you blame her?—but there was something in Tsuna's comment that hurt, _a lot._

Seeing Kairi's reaction, Tsuna quickly mended himself. "I like you! Just not… _romantically_."

"But I meant what I said." Seeing Tsuna at a loss for words, she decided to continue. "My mom taught me to say 'I love you' to my precious people. She said that accepting love is just as scary as getting rejected, but people walk around every day wounded from a love they never truly expressed. Loving someone, and telling them often, is a gift. It means I accept you."

"Oh," was Tsuna's only reply.

Kairi could tell that he didn't really know what to make up of the words that she said, but it's okay. She was happy regardless to be able to say it. In the few week that the girl had got a chance to stay with him, the female Hibari has really grown attached to Tsuna. He was her first friend, and the girl honestly thought she was never going to see him again, not with the lifestyle she was given. It was such a blessing to experience life outside of the compound, to go beyond the limits that the area kept her in.

And Kairi wasn't sure if she wanted to go back. Living in the Sawada house with Nana and Tsuna was something so different and pleasant, they became her home. She loved living with them. They were warm and welcomed Kairi with open arms. There was no pressure living there, no ridiculous rules, no yakuza. The female Hibari could live there and feel truly alive.

But Kyoya was her heart.

She could never abandon her brother, Kairi would sooner die. Kyoya was her older brother who loved her and strived to keep her safe, and Kairi would do the same. Another important lesson that her mother taught her is to always stick together.

Growing up, it was just Kairi, Kyoya, and her mother. No one else could really be trusted so highly. There were so many lairs and murderers, assassination attempts, imposters upon imposter who all wanted what they had. No one could be trusted, no one but them.

Would she ever abandon such a person for a selfish wish?

Would she ever try?

It hurt to think that she had to leave Tsuna one day. It hurt to think that she may never see him again. It hurt. Kairi would find herself imagining what it would be like going back to the life she was so familiar, but always ended up stopping herself halfway. The pain would be unbearable, and it hurt more knowing what she will lose.

Kairi was shaken, literally, out of her thought by Tsuna. He was looking at her with those big brown eyes of his, worry evidentially etched on his face. "Are you alright? You froze for a moment."

She grinned to mask her worry. "Just thinking." Tsuna made no move to change the subject, so Kairi decided to do it instead. "You never said it back."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Said what?"

"Said I love you back to me!"

Tsuna turned a delicious rose colour and leapt away from Kairi as if he was burned. He started to shake his arms rapidly in the air. "But—you know that I—Gah!" Thin arms crossed in front of the male to make in an x symbol. "Don't make me say something embarrassing!"

The female Hibari put her hands on her hips and stood her ground. "Hey! I put a lot of effort in saying it! You _have_ to say it back to me now!"

Seeing Tsuna so flustered was so funny. His reactions were hilarious and the boy ended up in such a jumbled mess that it was often hard to form a proper sentence at times. She liked to tease him and Kairi could tell that Tsuna enjoyed it too.

The duo continued to bicker until the sun slowly set, telling them it was time to go home.

* * *

They arrived back at the gates of the familiar Sawada household to see a pack people huddled in front of the gates. They wore a weird get up that consisted of a black middle school uniform with matching Elvis inspired hair. It was entirely ridiculous because most of them didn't even look like they were in middle school. They were all tall, bulky, and had this scary look on their face that practically screamed 'delinquent'.

Kairi looked at Tsuna at her peripheral. He looked quite discouraged from the frightening group, but he held his ground for her.

Upon seeing the female Hibari, the Elvis entourage stiffened and divided themselves, forming a clear path for both Kairi and Tsuna. They bowed simultaneously and exclaimed "Welcome back Hibari-chan!"

Kairi spared them a glance as the brunette to her right paled considerably. "K-kairi, do you know these people?"

"No." Grey eyes sent a calculating gaze to the gang in front of her. They seemed to know her, but then again, anyone with underground knowledge would have heard of her one way or another. They showed her respect in a way that was unusual to the girl. For now, Kairi decided to go along with it. If they were to pose a problem, then the petite girl would evidentially have to dispose of them later on.

Kairi linked her arm with Tsuna's and proceed to follow the open path that these Elvis impersonators so _nicely_ created for them. She could tell that Tsuna was slowly crumbling from their presence.

The female Hibari leaned over to Tsuna, some hair falling from the messy pony tail she made herself. She whispered to Tsuna in a clear voice, "I'm here."

Something in her statement sent a jolt to Tsuna. Kairi could feel the anxiety slowly leaving the boy and the tenseness in his shoulders gently leave. He put on a more confident persona and Kairi could help but feel proud of her friend.

The duo made their way inside the house and was greeted with a strange sight. There in the kitchen in a frilly purple apron was Tetsu.

Kairi was half curious and fully terrified at the scene. The thing just fit him wrong in so many places, and he looked so awkward in it while he cooked some stir-fry. The female noted the fact that he wore the same uniform that the entourage wore outside.

Nana noticed them first. The mother was suited in her own classic green apron and had her hair pinned to the side neatly. She stopped chopping the vegetables on the counter near Tetsu and promptly greeted them.

"Welcome back!"

Tetsu stiffly stopped his cooking. He was sweating considerably as he looked at a gaping Kairi. "Kairi-chan, I can explain."

Kairi made no movement to reply and just simply stared.

"Sawada-san look like she needed help, and since we were intruding—"

"'We'?" questioned Kairi. "Don't tell me you're with those weirdos outside."

Tetsu gave a sheepish nod, the Elvis hair swaying with him.

Kairi just sighed. She pinched the bridge of her nose in an effort to tone down the rising stress within her. "And why on earth are you doing here with your… _guests._ "

"Isn't it obvious?" said a new voice. A voice that Kairi missed and despised at the same time. "We're here to bring you back."

The female Hibari turned around to see Kyoya leaning casually on the kitchen doorway with that swagger of his.

* * *

They sat in front of each other in silence at the coffee table in the Sawada living room. Kyoya was sitting as proudly as ever with his arms crossed, while Kairi sat down informally with her legs crossed and her arms standing behind her in a relaxing position.

He looked somewhat the same since Kairi saw her brother last. The fringe on his face still joined at the centre of his face and his eyes were still as sharp as ever. Perhaps the only real thing that changed was the sling that carried his right arm, the small band aid that concealed a portion of his left cheek, and the black jacket slung over shoulder. Kairi found it a curious fashion choice as it mirrored their father's haori by the way it was worn, and it had a red band clipped on the left arm of the jacket.

The siblings stared at each other evenly. The lull in the air would have made any sane person crazy, but the brother and sister didn't allow the silence to ruin their pride as they continued to stare.

The quiet was broken by Kyoya first.

"You're not sitting right."

Kairi felt her eye twitch slightly. "It's comfortable."

"It's not proper."

"Neither is knocking you sister out, but that never stopped you."

More silence came after that. Kairi could tell that Kyoya was regretful. It was evident in his eyes, but she wanted to hear it from him.

The stillness was cut short by a gentle knock. At the living room doorway stood Tsuna. He was gripping tightly on a tray that had refreshments and snacks laid on top of it. The brunette was visibly affected by the situation. His face was paper while and he kept his eyes firmly on the ground. Kairi was sure that she could hear his legs shaking from her spot from the coffee table.

"U-um, I brought refreshment."

He made his way over to the siblings in great haste only to trip on his feet, sending the snacks, and juice boxes flying in the air. Most of it was scattered on the floor, however, Tsuna—being the outrageously unlucky boy he was—had a juice box hit him square on the head.

The brunette groaned from his position on the floor and Kairi couldn't help but smile a little. _Way to diffuse the tension, Tsuna._

She stood up from her spot and made her way to the boy. Offering a hand at Tsuna, Kairi asked, "Need any help?"

He sent her a mock glare, but accepted her hand regardless.

"If you get any clumsier, I would have mistaken you for a female lead in some sappy shoujo anime."

"Hey! I resent that!"

The two quarrel as they picked up the snacks together. It was like they were in their own little world—which Kairi was totally fine with. She wasn't sure if she was ready to hear what her brother had to say, but she knew she was going to have to face this no matter how long she stalled.

After successfully picking up the mess and rearranging it on the platter, Kairi set the tray on the wooden coffee table. Before Tsuna left, he pulled Kairi to the side for a moment.

"I could stay if you want me to. All you have to do is ask."

She gave a grateful smile to her friend. "It's alright. You've done more than enough."

Tsuna gave her an intense look. A look that was just so unlike him, that Kairi almost forgot that she was facing the same person. His eyes seemed to be searching something on her face before relenting in a sigh.

"If you say so." He walked over to the doorway that he entered in and stopped. The brunette looked back momentarily. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."

Kairi merely waved him off and proceeded to eat the offered snacks. She caught her brother staring at her.

"Is he your friend?"

Kairi nodded. "I would even consider calling him my best friend." The female hesitated for a moment before continuing. "His name is Tsunayoshi, but he prefers Tsuna. I wanted to give him a nickname the first day I met him, but he hated everything I suggested. Some of them weren't even that bad!" the female Hibari found herself rambling about her friend and her overall stay in the house. She could see her older brother smiling slightly, causing her to smile with him.

"He's my best friend and we have fun together," finished Kairi. She could tell that Kyoya was still busy taking in all the information she relayed over to him.

"You've changed," noted Kyoya.

"We all have to at some point." The conversation stopped. The female heiress knew that they wouldn't get anywhere from staying quiet. "How badly are you injured?" asked Kairi as she set her gaze on the sling. She knew that Kyoya wasn't invincible, but he always presented himself as something strong and unbeatable.

"Nothing to strenuous. Just a bit strained from fighting."

"Did you kill him?" asked Kairi. The heiress knew that killing wasn't that much of a problem in the yakuza, people practically died everyday. If Kyoya did end up killing Bakaku, it wouldn't have been his first.

"I disposed of him, his comrades, and any other threat within the estate."

"So who's going to take over then?"

"Me."

The response laid heavily on Kairi. She couldn't help but suck in a breath from the news. "D-does father know?"

"No." he gave a huff as if irritated to be reminded of their father. "He doesn't have to."

"Is that it? You're just going to take over as boss? Have your own personal army growing here? What makes you so different from father?"

"It's not an army. It's a Disciplinary Committee—a club if you want to put it lightly. It's members will restore order in Nanimori."

The news was just too much for Kairi. Hearing Bakaku and his followers gone was a wonder. Sure no one really liked the man, but he had powerful connections. To against him would mean holding a coup d'etat. Having Kyoya attempt it and be successful was amazing and now he wants to hold his own disciplinary committee. Kairi was starting to think that her brother was more unpredictable than she thought.

"What will happen with me?" asked Kairi. Her voice sounded small, as if she was talking to her father.

"You'll be free."

* * *

She stood on the porch of the Sawada house at the brink of tears. She was really going to miss this place. It brought by so many memories that came at Kairi relentlessly, and suddenly she wasn't so sure if she wanted to leave.

The female Hibari made a deal with her brother. She could go around and do whatever she wanted unsupervised after he finishes cleaning up the _filth_ left in Nanimori. Kyoya may have gotten rid of the threat in the compound, but there was still chaos elsewhere in the city. It was only after that was done, that Kairi could gallop around and do what she wanted.

There was a condition though. Kairi had to come back and live with him back in the estate, he practically stressed the idea. At first, the female Hibari wasn't so sure. She had grown comfortable with living with the Sawada's, but this was the deal breaker. It was all or nothing. If it were anyone else, she would have thought that he sounded like her father, but he was Hibari Kyoya. If anything, he just probably missed her.

"Are you going away now?"

Kairi looked behind her to see Tsuna. He was standing by the stairs, eyes on the bag that carried her belongings.

"Yeah."

His hair seemed to deflate with his mood. "Oh…"

"You'll still see me!" piped Kairi. "We made a promise and I never go back on my word. So don't give up on me Tsuna. Don't look at me with that face."

He didn't seem all that convinced.

Kairi walked back into the house and felt it swallow her whole. She made her way to Tsuna and hugged him tightly. The girl instantly felt his arms lock on her smaller frame. She memorized the size of his body, the feeling of those iconic green pajamas that practically screamed 'Tsuna', the warmth of his body, and the sound of his beating heart to her ear.

"Remember that I love you."

"I love you too."

It was the first time he said it back to her. It wasn't as stiff as she imagined him saying it. There was just pure confidence that made Kairi feel proud.

She released his hold and stood tall in front of her friend. "Let's meet again, okay?"

He nodded and gave one final wave.

Kairi turned around and left the house before it engulfed her even more. The female Hibari walked past the gates and into a sleek black car that lead her back into the Hibari estate.

* * *

 **Tsunayoshi**

The school year started again and Tsuna had yet to see her.

It was strange not waking up and not hearing her voice. Ever since they watched the sunrise together, it had been their thing to continue on the tradition everyday. It had been odd to watch it alone because he was so used to seeing her there, hearing her voice, smelling the strong scent of the coconut shampoo she always used, or feeling the soft brushes of her long hair when they would walk together.

The memory of her was fading and Tsuna was scared that it will be gone forever. He doesn't know when he'll see her again, and all he has left was her memory. But the weeks passed by quickly enough and the strength of each memory was slowly dying. He started to forget the sound of her voice, or the look on her face as she grinned at him, or the way that her face changed whenever they watched anime together. He was forgetting and that was the scariest part.

She barely touched his life and Kairi was already a big part of it. The female Hibari showed him a different perspective of the world, and being with he was so much fun. They were friends and Tsuna and the audacity to start forgetting her.

Strangely enough, Tsuna saw more of Hibari—or rather his followers—than he expected. The Disciplinary Committee appeared at the start of the school year in a storm. Their central hub was at Nanimori Middle school, but their power pretty much reined everywhere else. Tsuna would constantly see prefects patrolling around and sending their wrath to those who cause havoc.

The male Sawada knew of the brutality of Nanimori. A famous yakuza colonized in the area and sent terror in most parts. There was beatings and heists that has led the city to become in such disarray. Even Tsuna's bullies learned to cower from the evil that the people wrought.

In a way, Tsuna was thankful to the Disciplinary Committee, a lot of people are. They strived on order and sent the city to a stable state. It was as if the yakuza never landed in the area.

The final bell rung as the homeroom teacher entered the classroom. He was a new teacher this year and was in his early thirties. He had this look of a European foreigner—blonde hair and green eyes combination—and was quite handsome according to some students.

"Settle down class." The students immediately calmed down and listened to the teacher. "We have a late transfer coming in today. Please come in and introduce yourself."

The door opened briskly sending the whole class into a whispered frenzy. She walked in with the typical Nanimori Elementary school uniform for girls—a white blouse and blue skirt—and wore an additional black haori with the word _Discipline_ etched in white on the back in kanji. Her hair was braided neatly into a pair, one on each side of her head, and had a very familiar set of steel eyes.

Reaching the front of the classroom, the girl bowed a full 90 degrees. "Hello. My name is Hibari Kairi. It's a pleasure to meet all of you."

* * *

 **A/N: Guys..I FINIALLY FINISHED THIS CHAPTER! Omg did this take forever. I'm literally dead right now. Writer's block is not a fun experience.**

 **This concludes the prequel. I might write some omakes centering around this time, but every chapter after this one is going to be set in canon.**

 **Also quick announcement. I WONT BE UPDATING AS OFTEN. I had that in caps so people would actually turn their attention there. I'm going to be very busy because I'm entering first year at uni, but I promise you I will not give up on this story. I swore not to start another story, no matter how tempted I am, so I can stay focused and finish this one (whenever that would happen). Hopefully everyone's all there to enjoy the ride.**

 **Happy reading,**

 **-Angelic Bliss**


	6. Chapter 6 The Start of Everything

**Review Reply:**

 **: Thank you for your review. Enjoy the chapter.**

 **8** **: Lol, canon is finally here. Hope it exceeds your expectations.**

 **Xenocanaan: Thanks for the reviewing actively. It always helps as motivating me.**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: KHR, its characters, setting, and plot belong to Amano Akira. The following original character(s), and original plots belong to Angelic Bliss. All rights reserved.**

* * *

 **.**

 **Chapter 6. The Start of Everything**

 **.**

* * *

 **Tsunayoshi**

He ended up sleeping in again.

When he woke up, it was rush. Usually he'd wake up pretty early. He'd gotten used to the sunrise schedule that the female Hibari pretty much entrenched in his brain. That is until Tsuna accidentally slept in again.

To be fair, it wasn't even his fault. Kairi ended up texting him all night and he didn't get much sleep from it. She recently got a new cell phone—her first cell phone to be exact—and had been a bit addicted to it. She was constantly messaging him and other people about her recent revelation: snapchat.

Tsuna didn't want to be late and meet Hibari Kyoya's wrath. The elder sibling of his friend was an absolute devil when it came to 'bitting people to death' and had a bit of a sadistic streak on the side. He was the head prefect of the Disciplinary Committee in Nanimori Middle School, but the boy might as well be the King of the city. Hibari practically had all control of the place, and no one seemed to mind.

The male Sawada thinks that the prefect hates him. Tsuna had been spending an awful lot of time with Kairi since her eventful appearance in his house three years ago, and he thinks that Hibari might be slightly… _jealous._ The brunette would never say it out loud, but whenever he would go out with Kairi he could always sense a chill, as if someone was staring daggers onto him. He never actually caught that said person, but the fact that Hibari always ended up being at the same exact place that Kairi and Tsuna would be practically screamed suspicion.

Scrambling down to the stairs, Tsuna vaguely heard his mother mention a home tutor coming to stay with him. It was strange because Tsuna didn't really need a tutor, not anymore at least. Kairi excelled in studying. She had tutors before who drilled a bit too much into her head. Subjects like math, science, and English went without a hitch for her. Her knowledge was passed down to Tsuna, and he found his grades starting to light up. His friend was a little genius on her own, except in art. Kairi was a shitty artist. The girl was just not meant to draw.

Tsuna appeared downstairs to see something unexpected. There was a baby in his house. He was well dressed for a child—wearing a black tux with a matching fedora—had these definite curly sideburns that stood out, and dark onyx eyes that gave the teenager a bad feeling.

"Ciaossu," said the child. His voice was really squeaky, but that is to be expected for a child. He stared evenly at Tsuna alongside his reptilian friend that was seated on his hat. "So you're Tsuna?"

He bent down to the child's level and eyed him evenly. "Yeah, I'm Tsuna."

"Starting today I'll be looking after you."

 _Huh?_ This baby was weird. He came into his house claiming like he would be looking after him, like some sort of baby sitter. "Wait, who is this baby?" _What the hell is he doing here?_

"Don't worry about it, Dame-Tsuna."

The brunette felt his eyebrows narrow. This baby knew his old nickname for some reason. "Why do you know my nickname?"

"Gathering information is a basic skill, Tsuna."

Tsuna started to get aggravated. This infant seemed to think he was better than him, more knowledgeable. "My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi. I don't want to be called Tsuna by you."

He immediately regretted his words when he felt pain on his cheek. The child kicked him. This child actually kicked him. "What the hell?!"

Delicate foot steeps informed Tsuna that his mother had arrived. "Oh, who is this little boy?"

The infant responded by getting a card hidden in his breast pocket. He flashed the Sawadas the card. "I'm a home tutor. Reborn."

* * *

He was barely halfway to school when Tsuna concluded that this baby was another sadist. Tsuna could tell from the gleam in his eyes when Reborn kicked him. It was at that moment that the male Sawada realized that there was something unusual about the baby. He knew too much, spoke too well, and punched too hard for any child his age. Something was not fitting in, and Tsuna was getting anxious for not knowing.

"I'm a hitman."

 _Hitman?_ It was a possibility, but a ridiculous one. Hitmans were fictional. And even if they were real, why would they let a baby become a hitman? _Wait a minute…_

Tsuna looked up to see Reborn sitting down comfortably on his head and shrieked. "W-what are you doing there?!"

"I told you that I would be looking after you from now on."

"I didn't think you meant on my head!" exclaimed Tsuna. The boy went to grab the baby on his head, only to be met with a slap on the hand. "Ow!"

"Don't think you can touch me so casually, Tsuna." replied Reborn. The self-proclaimed hitman leaped down from Tsuna's head and landed in front of him.

"Ah, how cute!"

Tsuna could feel his face heating up from the sound of her voice. He fidgeted on his spot as his anxiety skyrocketed upon seeing Sasagawa Kyoko make her way towards him.

"Ciaossu" said Reborn evenly. His large black eyes looked at the elder girl evenly.

Kyoko gave a bright smile as she bent towards the child's level. "Good morning." Her amber gaze lifted up to Tsuna. "Good morning Tsuna."

If the red on his face wasn't already prominent, then it was sure now. The brunette could feel the weight of Kyoko's stare as her smile sent the boy in a reverie of emotions. "G-good morning, Kyoko-chan."

Another girl appeared from behind Kyoko. She looked sloppier in appearance, with her uniform wrinkled and her hair sticking out from odd places. The girl gave Tsuna an accusing stare which made the boy uncomfortable.

"Is this your younger brother?" she asked.

Tsuna lifted his hands in surrender. "No, no he isn't."

"Why are you wearing a suit?" question Kyoko.

"Because I'm in the mafia," replied Reborn.

 _Mafia?_ This child sure was strange. First he said he was a hitman, now he's in the mafia? _Just what is his parents teaching this kid?_

Kyoko seemed entertained by the answer. "Wow! That's so cool." She stood up and gave a wave before leaving. "I'll see you both later."

"Ciao, ciao."

"Ah, I'm going to be late too," shouted the girl as she left right after Kyoko.

 _What a weird morning_ thought Tsuna as he watched both females leave. Kairi was probably going to be highly amused about hearing this later.

"Tsuna, you have a crush on that girl, right?"

The male Sawada felt himself pale. He didn't think his affections were that obvious, were they? "That doesn't concern you."

"As your home tutor, I should understand all your relationships."

"I don't remember hiring you!" He bent to Reborn's level and gave a frustrated glare. "Besides, I don't think she'll ever notice me."

The baby seemed to ignore Tsuna's statement. "Have you confessed yet?"

Tsuna gave an incredulous look. Confessing? To Sasagawa Kyoko? Not likely. How could he ever compete with the tons of people already seeking out the girl's affections? "Don't be stupid."

"Why is that?"

"Kyoko is the school's idol. There is no way she would ever consider me." The male Sawada gave a groan. "Even if I do confess, it would just be a waste of time."

Reborn gave Tsuna a small smirk. "What a strong loser complex. I suppose now would be a better time than any."

"Huh?"

Tsuna watched as the green chameleon in Reborn's arms started to glow and shift its shape. In a matter of seconds the reptile turned into a green coloured gun that was pointed directly towards him.

"You'll understand if you die," replied the infant as he took aim for Tsuna's head.

"Wait. What do you mean by that—" Tsuna didn't get to finish as the bullet was shot and a red aura burst from the shell of it, effectively hitting the brunette on his forehead. The impact from it all sent Tsuna backwards as his life flashed before his eyes.

* * *

He was dead, Tsuna was sure of it. This baby came into his life and shot him dead on the forehead. The brunette has barely done anything in his life and now he was dead. What a tragedy.

There was so much regret. So many things he didn't have the chance to say. Words that were carefully hidden from the world never got the chance to spill out.

As the life seemed to drain from him, Tsuna could smell the familiar scent of coconuts, hear a laugh that the boy couldn't really place, and feel silky hair in between his fingers. It was calling to him in an alluring way that made the male Sawada want to live.

As he died he could hear the will of his heart grow stronger and more defined as it has ever been. And suddenly he wasn't dead anymore. He was turning powerful, more powerful than ever. His clothes were ripped apart from his body and there was a new sense in him that Tsuna had never felt before. He was _reborn_.

He stood up. There was no control over his body, just raw energy and adrenaline that kept pumping throughout his whole system. All his thoughts were erased except for one. One goal that motivated every inch of the male Sawada.

" **I WILL CONFESS WITH MY DYING WILL!"**

* * *

 **Kairi**

She sighed. He was late again. The female Hibari felt kind of guilty for being the cause of what her best friend was late, but to be fair, he was snap chatting back at her.

Kairi stood casually at the front gates of Nanimori Middle School. She had her black haori on as she watched the students enter. In truth, Kairi was still had mixed feelings on wearing the haori. He brother gave it to her when she entered Nanimori Elementary School as a present, and she didn't have the heart to reject it.

It was kind of embarrassing at first. Half of the people she met seemed to be staring at her and it was downright uncomfortable. She wasn't the type to really want to stick out and the haori didn't help at all. And if people we're staring, they were cowering in fear. Kyoya made a name for himself as the Disciplinary Committee Chairmen, and the haori was just another symbol of the demonic club that watched over all.

She was close to burning it and placing the blame on some freak accident that would totally seem plausible. But upon seeing Kyoya looking so _proud_ of her wearing it put all of those thoughts aside.

"Hey, want to go out sometime Kyoko-chan?"

Steel eyes shifted to the scene in front. Kairi could see that Mochida was harassing the school idol again with his awful way of courting. She could tell that the Sasagawa wanted to be anywhere but there at the moment.

"Maybe next time, Mochida-senpai," replied Kyoko timidly.

"C'mon. Kyoko-chan. I promise that you'll have a great time."

The brown haired girl shifter her eyes to Kairi and stared at her pleadingly. Her mouth was still in that permanent smile of hers, but the female Hibari could tell that she was struggling to keep it up.

Finding herself the need to intervene, Kairi stepped forward. "Lay off her, Mochida. You're desperation is ruining the air."

The older male sent her a glare for interrupting. "Well, if it isn't 'Hibari-chan'. Why don't you go find your brother and bother him."

She frowned. Kairi didn't like the way he spat out her name, and she sure as hell hated the way he mocked her. "My tolerance is getting low. I'd hate for things to get physical _Mochida-senpai_ "

They stared at each other evenly before Mochida relented. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Tch. I don't need this. I'm out of here." The senior promptly left after giving one last wink at Kyoko.

The honey haired girl gave Kairi a grateful smile. "Thank you for that Hibari-chan."

"It's no problem," replied Kairi. She still didn't like Kyoko as much as Tsuna, but she held no ill feelings to her. If anything, she felt kind of bad that she has to deal with this type of harassment every day.

Their conversation was interrupted by Tsuna, who appeared falling from the sky and landed directed in front of the both of them with his back facing their way. He was mostly naked aside from the blue boxer shorts and his skin seemed to be glowing. As he turned around, Kairi could have sworn there was a flame flickering on his forehead, but she put that thought aside and blamed it on the exhaustion.

Her best friend looked at the both of them dead in the eye. "PLEASE GO OUT WITH ME!"

… _Huh?!_ Did Tsuna just confess…to both of them?

Heavy silence engulfed the trio as both females seemed to be at a daze. Kairi decided to break the silence first.

"Hey, Tsuna. When I said you should be more adventurous, I didn't mean to run around naked."

Kyoko's gaze shifted to Tsuna's underwear. She shrieked and ran away from the scene.

Tsuna didn't move from his place and kept staring at Kairi. Even though the two of them were close, Kairi felt kind of weird seeing more parts of Tsuna than ever.

The mood was broken when Mochida appeared again in all his glory and punched Tsuna. "You bastard!" Tsuna landed on the ground and Kairi could feel her killer intent spark up. "Don't kid yourself!"

The senior left before Kairi could grab a hold of him.

Tsuna sat up from the ground looking utterly mortified. The flames were long gone and his skin wasn't glowing anymore.

Kairi offered a hand to her friend. "Need a hand, partner?"

He avoided Kairi's gaze, but took the offered hand anyways. "Just because you're still hung over _Toy Story 3,_ doesn't give you a right to keep on quoting it."

The female Hibari shared a laugh before getting to the real issue. "What the hell just happened, Tsuna? I knew you were weird, but no crazy pervert weird."

The boy didn't seemed to have an explanation of what just happened.

"That's thanks to the Dying Will Bullet," said a squeaky voice.

Kairi and Tsuna looked up to the voice above them. There was a baby dressed sophisticatedly parachuting down with a spare male uniform in his arms and a school bag. The child landed next to Tsuna, and what once was a green parachute, transformed into a small green reptile resting onto of the stranger's fedora.

"Reborn!" blurted out Tsuna accusingly.

The baby pulled up a red bullet from his pocket and displayed it to the duo. "This is a Dying Will Bullet. A person shot with it will be resurrected with a dying will."

"Oh? Is this what made Tsuna act strange?" asked Kairi. She inspected the bullet curiously. The girl hasn't heard of anything like it before, and it was fair to say that she was intrigued by it.

"The basis of resurrection is if you have any regrets when dying and only lasts five minutes. After that Tsuna would turn to normal."

A thought came into Kairi's mind. "Can anyone be shot by it?"

The baby seemed to give her a secret smile, and the female Hibari felt regretful from her words. "Perhaps."

"Wait a minute," interrupted Tsuna. "What if I wasn't regretting anything?"

"You'll die."

All the colour from her friend's face seemed to vanish. She glared at the infant in front of her. "Are you a threat, chibi?"

The baby stared at her direction, face displaying no emotion, but eyes seemed to bore into hers. Kairi could tell that this child was far from normal. He was too skilled for any toddler his age. The pacifier too was a giveaway. It wasn't the same shade of red as her uncle's, but more of a bright yellow that matched the sun. He must have been like uncle Fon.

"Reborn! Kairi!" Tsuna tried his best to diffuse the situation, but only seemed to get in the way of the two.

 _Ding! Ding! Ding!_

Kairi shifted her gaze to the school. Class was starting and Tsuna was still naked.

Kyoya entered the fray and sent a glare their way. He wore the Disciplinary Committee armband proudly. "What are you all doing there? Class has started."

"H-hibari-san," stuttered Tsuna. Kairi never understood his slight fear for her brother. Kyoya wasn't that bad. He can be lovable when he wanted to.

"As a Disciplinary Committee member. I cannot overlook this"

Tsuna shrieked and mutter a quick _sorry,_ before rushing off with the offer clothes from the child.

Kyoya glanced at the infant and seemed to have come with the same conclusion as Kairi.

Kairi left the child and walked beside her brother. _Looks like things are going to change real soon._

* * *

 **Tsunayoshi**

It was the beginning of the day and it has already gotten worse. Everywhere he went people were calling him 'underwear man' and laughing his way. The humiliation was endless and Tsuna think they're not going to stop anytime soon.

The worse part of it all was that Kyoko wouldn't even look him in the eye. It was like he didn't exist! There was no eye contact whatsoever from the girl and Tsuna started to feel really hurt from it. _Did I embarrass her that badly?_

The peaked inside his class. As expected, everyone was staring at him.

"Hey, Tsuna" called one of his classmates, "Mochida-senpai want to fight you during afternoon break in the gym."

"What?" Tsuna started to panic. This was not good at all.

Hana-Kyoko's best friend-nodded and gave a coy smile to Kyoko. "Mochida-senpai wanted to get revenge from that insult you received, Kyoko."

"Really?" whisper Kyoko. It was evident in her face that she was against the whole thing.

"Said something about not forgiving anyone that makes you cry."

Now Tsuna knew he was fucked. There was no way in hell he was going to win against Mochida, the captain of the kendo club, not without time at least.

"Ah, I knew I should have kicked his ass when I saw him."

Everyone shifted their eyes to Kairi. She was standing beside Tsuna by the doorway as she assessed the situation.

"Look like we've got training to do, right Tsuna?" she gave Tsuna a small smile before proceeding to drag him away.

* * *

He was breathing heavily. Tsuna did all the exercises that Kairi had asked of him and he still thought it wasn't going to make a difference. No matter how many times he copied Kairi's stance or blocked her attacks, it wouldn't matter because Mochida would always be better, stronger, and more powerful than he will ever be.

"It's no use! There's not enough time to train. I knew I should have just ran away."

Kairi glared at Tsuna which surprised the boy. Her anger was never towards him, and experiencing it was not a fun thing to do. "Don't sink on your limitations, Tsuna. You have far more potential than that."

"But—"

"No 'buts'! Running away won't solve anything."

Tsuna slumped down on the ground in defeat. "I'm going to lose."

The female Hibari plopped down beside him and rubbed his back sympathetically. "There are people out there who have never been defeated simply because they never tried. Don't be like them, Tsuna. There is no honour in those who run in life."

"She's right, Tsuna."

Reborn appeared from his hiding place up on one of the branches of a tree. He was swinging on his chameleon, who had transformed itself into a swing. "Don't let your fear control you."

"Reborn…"

He felt his motivation start to increase. All his life he was running away, and that never got him far. Now there are people in his life that believe in him and Tsuna isn't going to let them down.

Tsuna squeezed Kairi's hand reassuringly. "Okay, no more holding back."

* * *

 **Kairi**

He was getting his ass whooped.

There was a large crowd in the gym as everyone watched as Tsuna tried his hardest to avoid Mochida's attacks. He was doing alright, but Mochida was still faster with the kendo sword in his hands. He swung faster with greater force and Tsuna could only keep up as best as he could.

They trained during lunch, but even Kairi knew there wasn't enough time. Mochida won the tournament last year in kendo, and there was only so much Tsuna could do.

The female Hibari could tell the whole thing was rigged from the beginning. The judge watching over the match was a close friend to the senior and the fact that Tsuna never properly offer a sword only secured her thought. _What a jerk._

All she could do was watch in the distance. Tsuna wanted this. He wanted to prove something to everybody, and Kairi let him. She was his friend, and friends encourage each other.

However, as soon as there's blood spilt, Kairi made a vow that she would be all over that bastard.

Mochida struck Tsuna's leg resulting in her friend falling down on the ground. He pointed the wooden sword and prepared to strike the brunette hard on the head.

Kairi was about to intervene until she heard a bullet shot. Her body panicked only to relax later upon seeing the familiar red bullet make its way to her friend. The shell of the bullet broke in half, sending a red fire directly to Tsuna's forehead.

Her body tensed as Tsuna started to fall back from getting hit. _Was this supposed to happen?_ She didn't trust the child, not to the same extent Tsuna has. He could have lied to her from the beginning, and Kairi would have hell to pay Tsuna died. She wasn't ready for that.

His body dropped down with his eyes wide open in shock. The female Hibari watched as her friend's body started to glow in the familiar way before ripping away from his clothes in a new aura. The flames on his head shined brightly with his will as Tsuna emerged as an entirely new person.

"REBORN!" Tsuna's arms prepared itself in an offensive stance. "I will get a point with my dying will!"

The bystanders watched in awe as Tsuna ran straight for the senior.

Mochida scoffed. "Idiot! That won't do you anything." He prepared himself and blocked with his weapon, but it did not good. Tsuna charged head first effectively breaking the sword and Mochida's guard. "What?!"

The male Sawada leapt into the air and pounced at the upperclassmen, causing both of them to fall on the ground. He stood on top of Mochida with a single hand in the air ready for attack. In a flash his hand went straight down to the senior's scalp and pulling out a fistful of hair.

"It's not enough," commented Tsuna as he proceeded to pull out more hair until the senior was complexly bald.

The referee shakily held up the red flag indicating that Tsuna had won. The win was so unexpected it caused the crowd to burst into cheers.

Kairi went over to congratulate her friend, only to be pushed behind by the crowd.

"Woah, is that really Tsuna?"

"Can you believe it!? Tsuna actually won."

The crowd continued to push and shove and fully engulfed Tsuna in a barrier, leaving Kairi out of it.

"Are you going to congratulate your friend?" asked Yamamoto. He was standing beside Kairi away from the crowd.

The female Hibari watched Tsuna as he happily soaked the appreciation. He looked content there. Content having the crowd cheer his name. Content that Kyoko had all her attention towards him. He looked so content without her. He was happy, so shouldn't Kairi be happy too?

There was a feeling of loneliness, of being left behind, but Kairi didn't have it in her to call his name. To take him away from the thing he had wanted for so long. It would be selfish of her, but at the same time she felt a bit hurt that he didn't once glance her way. That Kyoko was more important.

"He looks happy doesn't he Yamamoto?" asked Kairi, her eyes never leaving the scene.

"I guess, but I think he looks happier with you."

Grey eyes shifted and stared at the boy at her side. He had his usual grin that held no illusion towards what he truly felt. Kairi returned the favour with a grateful smile. "Thank you, Yamamoto."

* * *

 **Tsunayoshi**.

"Huh? I'm the Vongola Family's tenth generation boss?!"

The day was finally over and Tsuna thought that he could finally relax…until Reborn spilled the beans that is.

The two were resting in Tsuna's room when Reborn let the news spill out. Tsuna was supposed to be the boss of the Vongola family. The _Vongola_ family. It made no sense whatsoever. As far as he was concerned, Tsuna was an average boy, going to an average school, living an average life.

"The ninth generation boss requested me to train you to become an admirable boss."

"I don't get it! This doesn't make sense at all."

Reborn shoved a document towards Tsuna's face, which showed a family tree. "Your great, great, great, grandfather was the first boss of the Vongola Family. You inherited the Vongola blood, Tsuna, and became a legitimate candidate for the next boss."

He wasn't afraid of the trials, or the succession, or all the battles he had to overcome. Tsuna was afraid for Kairi. The male Sawada remembered when Kairi told him of the yakuza, of what they did to her. And now here he was being shoved into the life she hated.

What would she think?

Would she hate him too?

Reborn saw the uneasy look in Tsuna's eye and gave a small smirk. "Don't worry. I'll make you into a great boss."

"But I didn't agree to it!"

The child ignored him and went to sleep on his bed—to Tsuna's dismay. He suddenly felt so scared of what tomorrow may bring.

* * *

 **AN: It's a bit rushed, but something is better than nothing. I knew if I didn't finish it now, than you guys would have to wait an extra week for it to come, and we all don't want that.**

 **I wanted to play with the idea that Tsuna already subconsciously loves Kairi—which is why he confessed mainly to her rather than to Kyoko. I hope it all turns out well.**

 **Anywho, I hope everyone all enjoyed the chapter. I have this really good idea for the future arc and I'm waiting for 100 follows before I give a little sneak peek on what going to happen. On another note, I'll do more chapters on introducing characters before picking and choosing which episode of the daily arc I want to do. I don't want to do the entire daily arc because I want to actually get on with the plot.**

 **Ciao, Ciao,**

 **-Angelic Bliss**


	7. Chapter 7: The Right and the Left

**Review Reply:**

 **RoastedPorkchop: Lol, that's the plan—part of it at least**

 **Xenocanaan: Well that's the beginning of it. They're going to be interacting a lot in the future.**

 **TamashiroSuzume: With Ipin, most likely affection, but Lambo is another case. Perhaps mild irritation in the beginning. The guardians are a whole other story. They're so dynamic in personalities that I'm still thinking of Kairi's relationship for some of them.**

 **Lady Kira8: I wouldn't say Tsuna is dense, more like highly infatuated, which is normal. When a person is infatuated, it's hard to see things clearly. This chapter introduces Tsuna's love rival in all this. Enjoy!**

 **Guest: Thank you! Because you love this story, I love you! 33**

 **Meisa-tan: Thanks for the correction! To think I was reading, writing, and pronouncing it wrong this whole time…**

 **Fee fi fo fum: Thank you! I wasn't sure if people liked my writing style because I can get poetic, and in turn, repetitive sometimes. And you did guess correctly.**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: KHR, its characters, setting, and plot belong to Amano Akira. The following original character(s), and original plots belong to Angelic Bliss. All rights reserved.**

* * *

.

 **Chapter 7. The Right and the Left**

.

* * *

 **Kairi**

"Hey, Yamamoto, clean this up would you?"

"Takeshi, mind bringing all the equipment in?"

"Yamamoto-san, can you refill all the bottles for me."

That was all Kairi heard in the morning.

Everyday, Kairi would enter Namimori Middle School early with her brother. It was a chore to do so, but the female Hibari enjoyed her time with her brother and the disciplinary committee members. Everything was usually calm during that time of the day, leaving more relaxation on their parts. Kyoya wasn't as strict, the members weren't as intimidating, and Kairi had the freedom to read the manga from the library undisturbed, until the baseball club arrived.

They were a rambunctious bunch, always cheering and calling onto each other. How can a girl read her manga in peace when they were constantly being a bother?

However, that wasn't the issue. The real issue at hand was the fact that Yamamoto Takeshi was being bullied.

It was a weird thought to think that Yamamoto would ever be bullied. He always plastered a smile that radiated with his personality, was quite good looking, and was an overall fun guy to be around. It was hard to hate him because he was that good of a person.

But there were people that hated him. People that strived with envy. People like some of the members of the baseball club.

Kairi watched from her reading spot on the bleachers. She could see it in their eyes that they were jealous of Yamamoto's skill and retaliated in a petty way. It was pitiful on their part. They spent so much time plotting on ways to deter the rising potential of their fellow club member, when they could have spent their time enhancing their skills.

Perhaps the saddest part was that Yamamoto let them. The black haired boy didn't have the heart to say no or to stand up against them. He just accepted everything with a smile and moved on with his life.

"Don't forget the clean everything up, Yamamoto" called the team captain, as he—along with the rest of the baseball club—slowly migrated their way to the change room to get ready for the day.

Yamamoto stood alone in the middle of the baseball field. His baseball uniform was dirtied from the morning practice and Kairi could tell he was exhausted from his uneven breathing. Despite being tired, he did as he was ordered and started to retrieve all the equipment.

The field was a mess to say the least. The members of the baseball club just left all their equipment scattered throughout the whole area. Training in the morning was exhausting enough, and now Yamamoto was tasked to clean up the field. It was a murderous task—a task that Kairi didn't feel like letting her classmate do alone.

The female Hibari left her place from her bleachers and trudged towards the baseball field. She had already finished the second volume of _Soul Eater_ and didn't seem to mind giving a hand. Tucking away her book into her bookbag, Kairi begun to make her way to the field and proceeded to pick up the stray baseballs on the floor.

Yamamoto seemed to notice her. His brown eyes looked towards Kairi's general direction with interest.

"You don't have to help me." Yamamoto gave one of his stellar smiles as he struggled to hold the helmets and baseball bats in his arms.

Kairi scoffed as she took one of the helmets in his arms "I'll stop helping you when you learn to help yourself."

"It's really alright," assured the boy, "I'm used to it."

Grey eyes turned sad, as Kairi could only give the male in front of her a pitiful look. "That's the worst thing you could say."

He hesitated. "But they're my teammates. Am I not supposed to help them?" questioned Yamamoto.

Kairi frowned at him. She didn't think that he was this… _dense._ The signs were so obvious. Yamamoto was being socially and physically bullied and he didn't seem to notice until now.

"You're just helping them bully you, Yamamoto. It only ends when you tell them to."

She didn't know why she was so passionate in helping a classmate she barely knew. Yamamoto has always been something else. He had this easy going personality that made it easy to be friends with him, but it wasn't that fact that that made Kairi want to help, it was the comparison with Tsuna.

Ever since Tsuna mentioned being bullied all those years ago, Kairi has grown a hate for it. There was nothing good that came with the act and it was powerful enough to destroy people. When she first entered Namimori Elementary School, Kairi made it her job to abolish the bullying around Tsuna, and now, the same passion to protect Tsuna from the bullying is being transferred onto Yamamoto.

In a way, it kind of hurt Kairi to see someone use Yamamoto's kindness against him. He did nothing wrong and only seemed to want to get along with everybody.

Yamamoto didn't reply. His brown eyes seemed glazed in thought as he processed Kairi's words.

The classmates wordlessly continued to clean up the field until they finished. Before the two of them parted ways, Kairi gripped Yamamoto's forearm, stopping him from leaving. She looked at him dead in the eye. She noticed the little details in him, like the dirt on his face and clothes and the fact that he continued to smile even though he looked absolutely exhausted.

"You're a great person, Yamamoto. Don't let the world take that from you." Kairi patted his shoulder reassuringly and gave a small smile. "I've got to go return this back to the library. I'll see you, when I see you." She gave a final wave before she was off.

* * *

He wouldn't stop following her.

Yamamoto—or Takeshi as he insisted she calls him—had been following her all morning. When she returned the library book, the first thing she noticed was Yamamoto's face. He was apparently waiting for her by the library exit, and thus, tried to strike a conversation whenever possible. It was a cute attempt at first, seeing the guy try to get some sort of friendship out of her, but constantly following her person became a bother after a while.

She didn't regret giving him a mini lecture this morning as Kairi helped out the struggling boy clean the baseball field. It was a gesture that made her feel good inside. Although, there was a hint of remorse when his fanclub started to divert their attention her way.

And so, Kairi ran. She ran as if her life depended on it. Yamamoto decided it was a good idea to run with her around the school. It soon became some kind of game. Kairi would run and hide, and Takeshi would try to find her—which he would. Every. Single. Time. It was like he was part bloodhound or something.

The female Hibari would hide up in the trees, in the equipment closet, and even in the school garden, and her black haired classmate had a knack for finding her.

It became exhausting—running and hiding around the school that is. She was surprised that her brother hasn't found them yet. He had a thing about keeping the order in the school, and running around was surely a chaotic thing.

The petite girl slumped down in her seat. It came to a point where she just didn't give a shit anymore. Class was starting soon and Kairi could only avoid the taller male for so long. They were in the same class for Kami's sake!

"Yo, Kairi!" He gave a bright smile and waved her way. Takeshi strut into the classroom in that same cheerful way as he did everyday. "Are we done playing hide and seek?"

She felt a vein throbbing as her blood pressure started to increase. "We weren't playing in the first place, Yamamoto."

The taller boy gave a hearty laugh, his right arm reaching behind his head in a casual gesture. "Now, now. Didn't I tell you to call me Takeshi?"

Her classmates started to whisper among them. The first bell had yet to ring, but there was a good amount of people in the class already prepared for the day to start.

"Hey, why is Takeshi talking to Hibari-san?"

"Woah, Hibari-san is actually socializing."

Kairi groaned and slumped down further in her seat. She could feel everyone staring and could hear the gossiping. Sure, she didn't socialize a lot, but it didn't mean she was anti-social.

"Yamamoto—"

"—Takeshi—"

"Takeshi," He smiled, but all Kairi could do was look at him exasperatingly. "Is there a reason that you were following me all morning?"

Brown eyes stared curiously, the smile never leaving his face. "Hm? I just wanted to get to know you better, but I guess playing a game was fun too."

Kairi smacked her face on her desk in utter defeat. _Was that the reason for all of this?!_

Takeshi didn't plan to leave her alone and sat on the desk to the right of her. He still had that idiotic smile on his face.

"Hey, Kairi. Do you like anime?"

Her ears perked up at the word and it all went down from there.

* * *

 **Tsunayoshi**

He woke up in a shock, literally.

Tsuna was still happily sleeping, when Reborn thought it was a great idea to use a defibrillator as an alarm clock.

The experience alone was horrible. The electricity shook though him in a painful manner and the brunette could have sworn that he could smell his skin burning from the whole event. He knew that Reborn was a sadist, but he never expected this type of the torture from the boy.

Sitting up, Tsuna stared at Reborn in exasperation. He was bearing some sort of doctor cosplay in replacement of his signature suit and fedora, although the yellow pacifier still remained in its place, hanging loosely on his chest. His hair surprisingly stood all over the place which reminded the middle schooler of his own in a way. Is it was anyone, Tsuna would have said it was ridiculous, but this was Reborn. The baby practically defined the term.

"You're awake," was the first thing he said. Black beaded eyes started at Tsuna's indifferently, but Tsuna could tell there was some amusement out of it.

The male Sawada glared in response. He will not accept how mistreated he felt, even from a crazy baby hitman. "Do you normally send electric shocks to wake someone up?!"

The baby blinked evenly. "It's a good thing you even opened your eyes. Sometimes people don't even wake up."

Tsuna could feel himself crying internally. _Is this how the rest of my life is going to be!_ "That's because they die of shock!"

The infant shuffled a small black itinerary from his pocket and opened it to Tsuna face. "This is today's plan."

"Plan?" question Tsuna. Brown eyes squinted to read the small print in the booklet.

 _Tsuna's Schedule_

 _Morning: Introduction of the transfer student._

 _Afternoon: Volleyball tournament._

 _Volleyball tournament…_ "The volleyball tournament has nothing to do with me. I'm just a substitute player."

The male Sawada glanced back at his tutor and lo and behold, he has already shifted out of the medical outfit and into his usual attire. "They suddenly ran out of regular players," piper Reborn, "so the substitute of the substitute of the substitute, namely you Tsuna, is going to play now."

"What? Why?!"

Reborn gave a playful smirk. "Who knows?"

His heart started to beat radically. This baby—who still claimed to be his tutor, among other things—is most notably is a hitman—as seen in his skills with a gun and the very fact that he had a weapon in the first place. Tsuna didn't want to think the child _killed_ anyone, but the assumption is still very well out there. If anything Reborn is more likely to have killed his fellow classmate in order to teach Tsuna some sort of lesson.

Tsuna's hands clutched his hair in frustration. "You couldn't have…"

Reborm merely turned to the side in a reminiscent gesture. The boy could tell that his tutor was highly entertained from his reaction. "Of course not."

The brunette merely laughed it off. _Of course Reborn would never go that far._ "Yeah, that's right, even if you're a hitman you wouldn't go that far."

The baby nodded. "It seems that everyone got a pizza delivery from the same place and they all ended up with stomach problems."

"So it really was your fault," exclaimed Tsuna. He should have known better than to have underestimated Reborn.

Reborn's green chameleon—Leon, as he referred to it—crawled from its usual place on the baby's fedora hat, rested in the arms of the infant. Small hands petted its partner in a relaxing manner. "This is all just so you can become a great 10th generation boss. I wouldn't have done it otherwise."

"Don't joke around! I'm absolutely terrible at ball sports!"

"You'll just have to get better then." Reborn gave Tsuna a reassuring smile, but the male Sawada knew better than to trust it. "Don't worry, I'll stick around until you're well trained."

"That's what I'm most worried about!"

Reborn said nothing more and headed off downstairs, leaving Tsuna alone to his thoughts.

* * *

"Good morning Tsuna-kun."

Tsuna had already arrived to school—on time, thankfully—and was well on his way to putting his shoes away when Kyoko made her appearance. He had been seeing a lot of her lately and the boy couldn't help but be ecstatic. Even though he helped her with her groceries years ago, Kyoko hadn't been as prominent in his life as he expected. She still remained untouchable with her barricade of fanboys.

However, with Reborn's help Tsuna stood out enough for school idol to actually look for him instead of the other way around. It was one of the only perks from Reborn that Tsuna liked.

"G-good morning, Kyoko-chan."

The short haired girls gave an inquisitive gaze. "Did you know that there's going to be a new student in our class?"

 _So Reborn wasn't lying afterall._ Somewhere in his heart, Tsuna hoped that the agenda was some sort of scam to scare the pants off of him. He didn't want to end up embarrassing himself in front of everybody when he had just gained all their respect.

"Oh yeah, it was on Reborn's schedule."

"I wonder what they're like…Do you think it's a girl or a boy?" asked Kyoko.

Tsuna honestly didn't know. Perhaps, Kairi knew of this whole event. The new student had to have gone through the Disciplinary Committee one way or another due to the paperwork. Hibari was known to be _picky_ towards people who enter and leave the building.

"Who knows?" was Tsuna's only reply before Kyoko and he parted ways.

* * *

He walked to the classroom still in a daze. There hasn't been a transfer student since Kairi came, and that was years ago. The brunette wondered if the new transfer was Reborn's fault. It was, after all, written in his schedule and Tsuna could only fear for another crazy baby coming to town.

Upon entering the classroom, he was surprised to see Yamamoto Takeshi talking to Kairi. He was happily asking Kairi all these questions with the usual happy gaze that was iconic for him. It was an odd sight. The brunette never imagined them being together, let alone, having a civil conversation together. They were like opposites. Kairi had always reserved herself away from the crowd, while Yamamoto had welcomed it with open arm.

Seeing them together was not something Tsuna expected, and if not for the sheer fact that they were interacting right in front of him, he would have never believed it.

Tsuna could have sworn that Kairi was smiling at him, as in a genuine smile. She rarely smiled at anyone, let alone talk to someone else besides him. It was just them. For three years it had just been them. And here she was, openly talking to someone else.

There was a feeling in his stomach that Tsuna did not like. A gut wrenching feeling that bubbled up increasingly as he watched the scene. It felt acidic, as if there was something in him that churned negatively and sparked all these emotions. He didn't like the feeling. He didn't like the thought of Kairi leaving him for someone else.

It was a gross feeling—a feeling that made Tsuna feel vile in his own body. It felt wrong and the male Sawada wanted more than anything for it to stop.

But the worst part of it all was that Yamamoto was sitting in his spot. Tsuna's seat right of Kairi and he was just sitting there, like it was no problem at all. And Kairi was letting him. He was proud that Kairi made a new friend. A lot of people tried to be friends with the girl, but Kairi always shut them down and stood insisted that Tsuna is the only one friend that she needed. He shouldn't mind that Kairi was socializing with other people. This is what he wanted.

So why does he feel so… _replaced_?

Tsuna cautiously made his way to them. They seemed to be in a deep conversation. Brown and grey eyes never seem to leave each other's, as the duo seemed to be in their own little world.

"No, Takeshi." _Takeshi? Since when were they on a first basis?_ "The Fullmetal Alchemist is the short one, not the knight looking one."

"Oh?" Yamamoto grinned in a way that Tsuna had never witnessed before. "I thought he was the other guy. He's the one that looks more 'Fullmetal' to me."

"That's the whole joke of it." Kairi laughed in a way that would have been only directed to Tsuna. The feeling in his stomach only started to increase from there. "Honestly, Takeshi. It's like you're not even watching it."

"Ma, Ma. Looks like you caught me."

The bell rang, thankfully, and Yamamoto left his seat in favour for his own. Tsuna took the chance to sit in his designated spot and began to interrogate his friend.

"Since when were you and Yamamoto so _close_?"

"Hm?" she still had that stupid smile on her face. "I wouldn't say we're that close. We were just talking."

 _It didn't look like that to me._ Before Tsuna could say another word, the teacher entered the class and order everyone to quiet down. He looked slightly nervous from the way his eyebrows were clenched or the constant crinkle of his nose. The elder man kept loosening his collar as he stood rigidly in the front of the classroom.

The entire class waited quietly in their seats. Most of who knew of the latest transfer's arrival were practically bubbling in their spots, while a small portion who were not aware sat patiently.

"P-please—" the instructor's voice cracked, causing some of the students to chuckle. Quickly clearing his voice, the teacher proceeded. "Please come in."

A tall teenage boy entered in the class which immediately caused a frenzy. He had short silver hair that looked natural enough and wore his uniform improperly—his white shirt was complexly unbuttoned, displaying a red shirt under it, and wore a bunch of jewelry like bracelets and necklaces on his person. The worse part of it all was the permanent scowl that seemed to be etched on his face that was aimed directly towards Tsuna.

"I'll introduce the transfer student. He was studying abroad in Italy until now. His name is Gokudera Hayato."

 _Italy?_ This was surely suspicious now. Tsuna was starting to think that Reborn was the cause of this after all. His life has been anything but mundane since the baby's arrival, and Tsuna doesn't expect it to ever go back to the way it was prior to his encounter.

Most of the students stared at the Gokudera in marvel. From the hushed whispers of some of the female portion of his class, Tsuna assumed that the newest student would be getting a fanclub sooner or later.

"Gokudera-san, please sit at the vacant seat in the back," instructed the teacher.

Gokudera silently did as he told and crept in the isle between Tsuna and Kyoko. He kept glaring at Tsuna for some odd reason, which made the boy nervous. He had never seen him before and the brunette was sure as hell had no plan to get on his bad side. The guy practically emitted this 'bad boy' image and Tsuna was pretty sure that the new student could handle him quite easily.

The silver haired teen paused at Tsuna desk and looked at Tsuna in distaste. He looked _beyond_ annoyed as he stared Tsuna down.

"Tch," was all what was heard from him before he kicked Tsuna and his desk over to the ground.

Silence was all that was heard before _crack!_

Every eye shifted to Kairi. The number two pencil in her hand was broken in half. She was smiling in a way that Tsuna hadn't seen in a long time. She was smiling in anger with her eyes closed to mimic his mother. Her eyes opened slightly to show absolute loathing and for a moment Tsuna was _scared_ for Gokudera. Kairi was a monster when she wanted to be. She wasn't her brother's sister for nothing.

* * *

 **Kairi**

He looked like your ordinary _asshole._

Gokudera Hayato—or _Gokodera-kun,_ as his latest fangirls were saying—transferred into the class with the worst possible first impression ever. He was a rude bastard who had practically omitted some sort of superiority complex over everyone and everything.

Kairi was having a pretty okay day before Gokudera arrived. The third volume of _Soul Eater_ was thankfully in the library, and the female Hibari generally started to enjoy Takeshi's presence.

She had her doubts in the beginning. In truth, Kairi thought of Takeshi as some popular jock stereotype, but after talking to him—actually talking to him—Kairi could see that he was a great guy. No wonder people liked him so much, he was just so easy to like.

The day was going pretty well until Gokudera came along. If his attitude upon entering the classroom didn't scream hostility, his actions certainly did. The jerk had the audacity to kick Tsuna over his desk as if it was nothing and Kairi was sure as hell not going to let this jerk get away with it.

Stillness was prominent and tension was high. Kairi and Gokudera seemed to have a have a stare off. Both were too proud to look away, as they sized each other up. Gokudera seemed like a delinquent, but Kairi knew how to deal with their type. She had to deal with people like this everyday. The people of the Disciplinary Committee was a clear example of this. They might have been all bark at first, but it only took a punch or two to knock some sense into them.

"K-kairi!"

Tsuna had long abandoned his spot on the ground as he tried to diffuse the situation. Kairi had to admire him for trying to work out the problem, but she wouldn't let this guy flaunt around the place as he pleased. Not when he had just pissed her off.

"Enough" yelled the teacher. He had been quite passive all year, and hearing him act so lively was a wonder on its own. He adjusted the thick framed glasses on his face before the teacher continued. "Gokudera, Hibari, Sawada. Of to your seat. I don't want anymore fighting between you."

Gokudera made his way to the back of the class, while Kairi and Tsuna resumed in their seats. The class went back to normal easy enough, but the tension was still high between the trio. Gokudera was still glaring at Tsuna and Kairi was still in a bad mood. In the middle of it all stood Tsuna who was nervously sitting in his place.

* * *

 **AN: Guys…this took forever.**

 **It's finally here! I waited forever to finish this chapter and to introduce this new oc. God, I love her so much. I already have so many situations to put her in. It's going to be amazing.**

 **University is surprisingly fun. Course workload aside, I'm having fun with it.**

 **When I said 100 follow, you lot delivered. The only reason I asked for it was to commemorate a thank you omake (seen below) and to show a sneak peek of the future arc that I could hardly wait for. There's still so many chapters to do before it.**

 **Anywho, here's Tsuna's love rival. Thoughts? I thought Takeshi would be a better rival because he's the opposite of Tsuna in a way personality wise, just as Kyoko and Kairi are. I wanted to play around with it to see how these character chain reacted from one another.**

 **Till another day,**

 **Angelic Bliss.**

* * *

 **Sneak Peak of the Future Arc**

 **Kyoya**

He shifted the child in his arms. She was almost a year old and yet the baby girl was still tiny. Kyoya couldn't help but be worried. Genetically, it was normal considering how short her mother was, but the Hibari heir cared for the child beyond belief. She was the only sentiment left of one of the most precious people in his life.

The baby played with his shirt, babbling in her own baby talk now and then. Kyoya could make up some proper words here and there, which is expected considering her genetics. Everyone in his family was prodigious one way or another. Although he could not say the same thing for the child's father's side.

To this day, Kyoya was still a bit bitter between the nuptial. Granted, he was aware of the _love_ —the word brought a somewhat sick taste in his mouth, especially considering the key players in it all—that they had, but it didn't mean he was happy about it. The only thing really good that came out of it was her happiness and this child.

The infant in question sent Kyoya a toothless smile, which lead him to fall to prey towards it. To think that the fearless Hibair Kyoya would end up submitting to a child. It was a ridiculous idea, but Kyoya wouldn't have it any other way.

The Hibari heir carried the child out of the secret nursery, and trudged down the hallway. Things were getting restless among everyone. A war was going to break out sooner or later and Kyoya hoped that revealing this child's existence may help spark something.

Making it to his destination, Kyoya held the baby firmly in one hand and proceeded to open the door. Inside the previous office of the late tenth generation boss stood all of his guardians—with the absence of the Pineapple Idiot. Instead a much more tolerable person—Chrome—stood in his place.

Everyone looked tense with a grim expression worn. They were all aware of what was happening, and with their boss's death, had lost most motivation to fight or even do something. It was pitiful. It was natural. Even Kyoya mourned, but he knew he had to keep pushing. He had to keep pushing for a future where she can live without harm or fear of death.

Ryohei was the first to notice him. His stern expression was quickly replaced with a more surprised one. "Is that—"

All the guardians turned to Kyoya's direction and he was close to bolting out of the room. The last thing he wanted was to be crowded around by some herbivores.

"This is Sawada Mari," started to Kyoya. He gave a reassuring nod to the baby who had tensed upon seeing the company. "This is the future you are fighting for."

* * *

 **Special Omake**

 _Thanks for the follows!_

 _-Angelic Bliss_

 **Prompt: In which Tsuna met Kairi in a different time in his life.**

* * *

 **Tsunayoshi**

He wanted to stay as far away from the ten year bazooka since the whole Byakuran mishap, but being deemed unlucky for life made it impossible for Tsuna to avoid any kind of shit to happen.

It was still quite early in the morning when Lambo decided it was a great idea to try to attack Reborn. Tsuna had been getting ready for the day when the cow dressed child made an appearance with as much ammunition as he could carry. There were pistols hoisted on his hips, a large gun being held by his tiny frame, and even a belt full of grenades.

The child was laughing obnoxiously as he gave Reborn—who was still sleeping from his spot—a fierce gaze. "Reborn! It's time we settle this!" He took a grenade, activated it, and threw it towards his opponent. "Prepare for death!"

Reborn, who hadn't bothered waking up from his slumber, simply slapped the incoming explosive back towards the child that had thrown it.

As expected, the grenade collided with Lambo and exploded, sending both Tsuna and Lambo singed from the event.

 _Great._ Tsuna had already been dressed in his uniform when the bomb decided to detonate. He didn't mind as much now considering how mundane these events were. It was crazy stuff like this that happed every day to the male Sawada. If anything, these kind of events were less traumatic than Reborn's usual _tutoring_ sessions.

The sounds of sniffling soon followed after the initial blast. Lambo sat on the ground in the brink of tears and in utter defeat. Balled fists showed his perseverance in refusing to cry, however, quivering lips proved otherwise.

"Gotta…stay..calm…" chanted Lambo.

Tsuna cleared his throat as he approached the boy. He admits that he cares for Lambo in a kind of brotherly way. He was unofficially adopted by his mother, and Tsuna felt like he had some sort of responsibility over him. He wasn't as clever as Reborn or as strong as Ipin. Lambo was the only one his age that actually acted like a child. A child who wanted so much to prove to the world that he could do something.

"It's okay Lambo," said Tsuna. He patted the small boy in a means to reassure him. The elder knew of what it was like to go through Reborn's tendencies. Even if Lambo initiated it, the aftermath was sure to be brutal.

Tsuna wanted to say more when he saw it. There, peaking from Lambo's large afro, was the ten year bazooka. It was still mostly hidden, but the male Sawada couldn't help but be apprehensive of seeing it. The distinguishing purple color made him anxious and the fact that Lambo was reaching out to it made him even more wary.

"L-lambo! Just calm—"

"Gotta—" Small hand started to pull the machine out.

"Just take deep breaths—"

"Gotta—"

"Lambo!"

The ten year bazooka was now fully revealed and Tsuna couldn't help but step a couple of feet away from the child. He was holding it up in his arms with all his might—the tears were rapidly falling down his face.

The cow child prepared to slip the machine onto himself only to trip on the tail of his cow suit, effectively sending the ten year bazooka towards Tsuna.

He tried to run away from it, honest. But Tsuna's room was a mess—he had yet to clean it up from when Yamamoto and Gokudera's visit the other day—which evidently caused him to slip on his math textbook and straight into the range of the demonic weapon.

* * *

Tsuna forgot how spacious the ten year bazooka was. It was surprisingly roomy, leaving enough room to be comfortable until the switch happened.

He could feel himself being transported. His whole being felt weightless as Tsuna felt himself float through time and space. Like a leaf falling into a river, the male Sawada was sent floating through the depths of time and travelling downstream to the future.

* * *

Brilliant colors surrounded him and Tsuna could somewhat get a vague sense of everything.

The day was bright and the weather was beautiful. Tsuna appeared sitting on a bench at a gazebo isolated from civilization and within a dense forest. There were tons of wildlife leisurely coming and going all of which were at peace. Patches of flowers gave a mild aroma that mildly reminded Tsuna of the iris blossom fragrance that his mother would wear. A sense of calmness filled the air and for the first time in a long time Tsuna found himself relaxing from the scene.

 _Clink._

The sound startled him. A girl—a woman really—was sitting beside him. She was wearing a red sundress that reflected well with her fair skin. She seemed to be preparing tea for the both of them ontop of the stainglass table in front of them.

"I was wondering when you would notice me."

Tsuna blinked. Her voice was delicate and he couldn't help but be somewhat entranced by it.

The woman resumed back to her tea making before handing Tsuna his share. Carefully, he held the white porcelain cup and cradled it in his hands.

"I hope you don't mind, I added some honey into your share."

Tsuna shook his head rapidly, clearly nervous of the situation. "N-no! I love honey in my tea."

She smiled and Tsuna could feel the red rushing to his face. "I thought so. You could never take tea well without honey."

Tsuna shifted his gaze away from the woman. She was too bright and the male Sawada couldn't help but look away. Instead he focused on the tea. It was still hot, seeing how the steam was emitting from the cup, and gave off a fresh scent.

He gingerly took a sip of it and felt himself savoring the taste. It was jasmine tea with a bit of honey and lemon. The flavors erupted sweetly in his mouth and Tsuna felt himself enjoying it.

"Taste good, right?" asked the woman. He grey eyes seemed to sparkle from watching him.

Tsuna nodded evenly and resumed to drink the tea. He was still nervous about being with this woman, alone, in a dense forest, but decided if he were to die, he might as well die enjoying some tea.

"Relax, would you." The woman turned to her side to reveal a picnic basket filled with snacks and offered some to Tsuna. "I'm not going to kill you, not during the first date anyways."

He found himself choking from his drink. _Date?!_ The idea was just ridiculous! Tsuna made a plan in order to court Kyoko—the school idol, the girl of his dreams! This woman was not part of the picture whatsoever.

The woman started to laugh, causing some strands of her black hair to come loose from her messy side bun. "I'm joking, I'm joking!" she said as she waved Tsuna off.

The male Sawada let out a sigh of relief. _Thank God—_

"This is far from our first date. We went well over twenty, maybe even thirty dates. You usually keep count, not me. You were more of the romantic between us."

He wanted to die on the spot. This was not happening! She had to be lying! He had never met this woman in his life and here she was proclaiming that they were going out. Tsuna didn't' want to think that they went beyond that, but the way she _knew_ him well made insinuated otherwise.

The woman pouted from seeing his reaction. "Hey, now you're hurting my feelings."

Tsuna swallowed before explaining himself. "I'm sorry, but I like someone else."

She smiled slightly, but Tsuna noticed that it wasn't a sad on. It looked more nostalgic as if remember something great from the past. "Yeah, you—the other you, I suppose—mentioned her before. Kyoko, right?"

"Yes, Sasagawa Kyoko."

The woman hummed at the thought as she idly stirred her cup of tea. "So, do you love her?"

He blinked. Did he love her? Love was such a strong word. Tsuna didn't want to hand it out so casually. Kyoko was this warm person who helped motivate Tsuna to keep pushing himself. They had gotten quite close in the future and Tsuna would rather die than sacrifice the hard work that came from it. But did he love her? _Do I love her..?_

The woman sighed and placed her teacup down on the table in front of her. "I suppose that's a question suited for next time."

 _Huh?_

"You're five minutes are almost up, Tsuna. Let's meet again, okay?"

She grabbed his hand and sandwiched it in between hers. The warmth between her hands and the lingering smile on her face was the last thing he saw before he was transported back into his room.

* * *

He needed someone to talk to. His body was a volcano of emotion just waiting to erupt. He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He wanted someone to talk to.

He could talk to Gokudera, but he would be biased in the situation.

He could talk to Yamamoto, but he wouldn't understand the situation.

He could talk to Kyoko, but she was the source of the problem.

Tsuna found himself pacing in the living room utterly frustrated. His heart….his heart was broken.

All this time, after all this time, Tsuna thought he was actually making progress with Kyoko. He thought that after saving her, after hanging out with her, after proclaiming his heart to her, that she would return it. Perhaps he thought the girl owed her something for all the times he was there for her, but in the end she rejected him.

He mistook her kind nature as a means of returning her feelings for him—if she ever even had any. But that was all an illusion, an illusion far worse than any mist used could ever construct.

He wished he never loved her. It brought so much false hope that crumbled instantly from the rejection.

He wished from the bottom of his heart that this pain would stop. It was so hard to keep living with this pain. A pain that skewered though his whole being and left an empty hole.

During his pacing, he hit something hard. The male Sawada didn't really register the pain, but heard the somewhat loud crash of the fallen object. On the floor, rolled the ten year bazooka. Lambo must have left it there when he played with it earlier in the afternoon and forgot about it.

Tsuna delicately touched the weapon. It was cool to the touch and smooth to the finish. He was tempted to use it. To use the weapon as a temporary escape from this place. There was just too much memories and too many reminders of the maybes and the what-could-have-beens. Tsuna didn't need that. He needed stability in a life that was spiraling down because of one person.

He lifted up the weapon. It was surprisingly light in his arms, but that may have been from the training Tsuna had gotten over the years.

Tsuna prepared the weapon over his head. He just needed an escape—a bit of a breather. It wasn't like he was going to be gone forever. He just needed five minutes to relax away from the reality he had to face later on.

 _It's just five minutes_ was the last thing he thought of before Tsuna disappeared into the future.

* * *

The scene was different this time.

Instead of the dense forest from the last time he came, Tsuna was sitting inside a room. It was mildly decorated with photographs on the walls and on the wooden shelves. Some of which were of Tsuna and his guardians, while the others were of the woman from before with Hibari of all people.

The television in front of him was on with some anime that he didn't recognize. The name _Boruto_ was being said a bunch of times, and Tsuna can only assume that he was the main character of it all.

The woman appeared through the open doorway and had a big bowl of popcorn in her arms. "Hey, I found the popcorn—oh! You're here again."

"Yeah," replied Tsuna dumbly. He wasn't sure if he wanted to reveal his true intentions of him arriving just yet, so he diverted the topic to something else. "You look different."

Her hands made its way to the ends of her hair. Instead of the long hair that he came to recall, it was shorter—going slightly past her shoulders. Her bangs were getting quite long as well. Instead of falling on her forehead, it moved to frame her heart shaped face.

"Oh? I hope it suits me. I loved my long hair, but it was just horrible to maintain!" she gave a dramatic sigh and sat on the black leather couch in front of the television. She patted on the seat next to her, in a gesture for Tsuna to sit beside her.

He obliged, and their attention was sent to the anime in front of them.

"So, no date today?" questioned Tsuna.

The woman popped the snake into her mouth before answering. "Hm, not quite. It felt like a more 'Netflix and chill' kind of evening."

"Netflix…and chill?" He had no idea what those words meant. Something casual assumed Tsuna. The woman wasn't wearing the same semi-formal attire as last time. Instead she wore a large baggy shirt with a number 27 on it. He supposed it worked as a substitute for a dress.

The woman snorted and giggled in her spot. Tsuna was starting to feel out of the loop. "You'll get it when you're older," was her reply as the woman continued to munch on her food.

"So what brings you around these parts?" asked the woman. She seemed to be getting bored of the show and was fast forwarding towards a different part. "Did Lambo assault you again? He's a good boy now, but I heard he was a bit of a devil child back then."

"A-ah, no. It's just—" The words weren't forming properly. He came here for a purpose and maybe a small part of him wanted to see that woman again. Admitting it became harder than expected. "You see—"

"You had your heart broken, didn't you?"

Tsuna was a loss of words. "Did my future-self tell you?"

She shook her head and placed the bowl of popcorn from her lap to the wooden coffee table in front of her. "No, you just have a familiar look on your face."

He felt his throat grow dry. Tsuna didn't think he was this obvious. "Did you get your heart broken too?"

"Yeah," her eyes glazed over and a look of remembrance came over her. "It was a long time ago, but I still remember the time that Itachi Uchiha died."

 _What?_ Tsuna wasn't sure if he heard right. Maybe it was his inner otaku filtering the words, but he was sure that the woman said Itachi Uchiha. "…Itachi…Uchiha?"

"The one and only."

"The one from _Naruto_?"

The woman sighed and wiped a dry tear away. "The very same."

Tsuna deadpanned. He didn't know how to reply from this. He heart was broken by the girl of his dreams, and this woman was trying to relate with the death of a fictional character. And to think he wanted to seek her out.

The woman noticed his reaction and grew irritated. "Hey! The man is a beloved character. He didn't deserve death!"

"He's fictional."

"In my head, he wasn't!"

She looked like she was on the verge of violence, and Tsuna thought it was best to leave it there. He didn't want to poke the flame any more than he already did. If this woman was brave enough to get a photo of herself and Hibari, then Tsuna concluded that she was just a force that didn't need to be reckoned with.

Tsuna found himself laughing. The conversation was absolutely ridiculous from the beginning to the end. He laughed from the exchange he had from the woman. He laughed all the sadness and anger away. He laughed until he started to feel good again, and it did.

"Thanks," said Tsuna.

The woman cocked her head to the side, not quite sure where this was all coming from.

"Thanks for making me feel better." Tsuna could see that his future-self was so attached to this woman. There was something about her personality that attracted his whole being. He wanted to be closer to her, but the times was up and Tsuna was back in the living room of his home.

He didn't mind as much—being back that is. He felt stronger than ever. His depression was uplifted and tomorrow didn't seem as scary, not when there was a beautiful future he couldn't wait to experience for himself.

* * *

Tsuna found himself an avid visitor of the future. There was just something about it that was so much more pleasant than the present. The scenery was calm, there was no battles or constant need to be on guard. It felt more relaxing and euphoric.

But what was probably the main cause for his frequent stay was the fact that she was here. The woman was an addiction on her own. As he got to know her, it was becoming evident how charmed he was by her presence. Whether it be her personality, or her overall beauty, or her love for anime, he was bewitched by her everything in a far deeper way than Tsuna had ever experience before.

Today he was relaxing on a recliner across from her. She was spending her afternoon sketching a picture on the table, but Tsuna knew better than to comment. He noticed early on that her skills were _lacking_ in that general area, but still sought out to pursue it in her free time.

"You know, I never got your name," remarked Tsuna. After all the times that came to the future, she never gave her name away and he never asked for it.

"Oh? I guess I'm just used to you already knowing it." She grabbed the eraser to her right and went on to erasing her drawing. "My name is Kairi."

"Kairi." Tested out Tsuna. It felt weird to say, but he was glad he can actually put a name to her face. "No last name?"

"If I told you, you'd shit your pants." He grey eyes briefly glanced his way before going back to her sketch. She gripped her pencil hesitating for a moment. "It's about to change anyways…"

He felt all the air in his lungs leave him. It was about to change…she was going to get married. Brown eyes darted to her ring finger, and saw a simple golden band encircling it in a way that taunted Tsuna.

"You're getting married."

Kairi smiled sadly for him. "Yeah, to the love of my life."

Her words stabbed him, but Tsuna needed to know. He needed to be sure it would be him—the future version of him. "Is it me?"

"No," started Kairi. She idly played with the ring on her finger. "This Sawada Tsunayoshi is much different from you."

"But it's still me!" argued Tsuna.

Kairi shook her head slowly and refused to meet his gaze. "No. This Tsuna has ten years of memories and experience ahead of him. He conquered battles, made powerful friends. This Tsuna spent more than an hour loving me."

Her words stung him. He didn't have much of a choice. The ten year bazooka lasted five minutes in the future. He may not have spent a lot of time with Kairi, but he was sure he loved her. He was sure that even though he had yet to fully see her, he had seen enough to want to spend the rest of his life with her.

"But I love you."

"Why would you say that?" asked Kairi. She gave him a bittersweet smile. "I barely know you."

"Because it's one of the few words that can keep us alive. Because you were the one that I can't live without. Because I don't want to lose you to myself!"

He was jealous. Jealous of his future form that spent minutes, hours, and days, loving the girl he had yet to fully meet in his own timeline. It was pitiful to ever be jealous of himself, but the future Tsuna had a whole future ahead to love her. Tsuna didn't have this opportunity.

It wasn't fair. He had finally found someone he can actually say he loved. Tsuna loved Kairi. He loved her and he wasn't going to let her go. Not when she made him feel so good.

"I'll fight for you. I'll find a way where I can permanently stay in the future," proclaimed Tsuna. He wasn't going to give up. His resolve had been set. It wasn't over yet.

Kairi slowly stood from her spot, the chair squeaking as she stood her full height. She carefully made her way to Tsuna, who was shaking from his spot on the recliner. The woman bent down towards Tsuna and hugged him tightly.

Tsuna returned the hug instantaneously. He clutched onto her being as if his life depended on it. He didn't want to leave. He didn't want it to be over.

"I think you shouldn't come back to the future anymore."

The male Sawada stilled. "But—"

"It's not healthy to get attached to something that isn't even real yet."

"But—"

"You have friends and a family there who need you with them, and in turn, you will need them."

"But I won't have you!"

Kairi released the hug and looked at Tsuna directly in the eyes. He could seem himself in her own orbs. He saw a boy whose whole world was about to fall into ruins. Tsuna barely registered the tears falling down his face or how his form wouldn't stop shaking. Instead he choose to focus on the woman in front of him. He choose to savour the moment while it lasted. No matter how many times he denied it, his intuition confirmed that this would be the last time he would see her for a while.

"You'll see me again, someday. She's going to be a bit different, and even harder to handle, but I know you won't give up on me."

They held hands for the final 30 seconds.

"She's going to be a bit distant, but you have to teach her to love the world around her."

 _25 seconds._

"She might be a bit hostile at times, but only because she had a hard life growing up."

 _20 seconds._

"There will be some challenges and it's certainly not going to be easy. But you have each other, and that alone means everything."

 _12 seconds._

"She'll love you, that's a promise. So don't look so depressed Tsuna. Smile for the future that has yet to come."

They shared one final smile together before the images around him changed. He the familiar setting of his room solidified and confirmed to Tsuna that he was back in the past.

But he wasn't ready. He wasn't ready to leave her.

Scrabbling, Tsuna looked around the room for the ten year bazooka. He was sure it was there when he left it for the future. He doubt anyone would have touched it, especially since Lambo was at the park with Ipin and Futa.

"Where is it?" exclaimed Tsuna as he flung numerous objects around the room in search for the item of interest.

"It's destroyed," replied a squeaky voice that could only belong to Reborn. He was sitting on Tsuna's desk with an expresso at hand.

"What do you mean it's destroyed!?"

The baby took one slow sip of the coffee before he saw fit to answering. "You're future-self destroyed it."

"But why?" Tsuna didn't understand. If his future-self loved Kairi as much as he did, why prevent him from seeing her.

"It's for your own good Tsuna."

He truly didn't understand. The only thing that made sense was her and now she was gone.

* * *

He was at the festival with his friends when he saw her again.

It had been about a month since Tsuna's final time in the future and his friends thought that going out together would do some good. It was just the guys this time, seeing as the other felt that there would be too much tension to between Kyoko and Tsuna to bring the girls along. It's not like Tsuna cared either way.

He went to go buy a choco banana when his fingers went to bump into someone else's. They were both reaching for the same choco banana and ended up colliding with each other. It was at that moment that their eyes met.

Tsuna saw the familiar grey eyes he had been searching for the past month. She had looked generally the same compared to her future self—except for the length of her hair and the amount of baby fat on her face.

"Kairi…"

The girl looked at him in mild surprise. Shuffling from the blue yukata she was wearing. "How do you know my name?"

The male Sawada's hand lifted up and pushed away a strand of loose hair away from her face. He drank up her appearance as if she was going to lose her any second. One month had been too long for him.

Tsuna wanted to say more, but was yanked roughly from behind by the collar of his blue shirt.

He looked behind him to see a very angry Hibari. The prefect looked positively murderous and Tsuna only wished he was not the target of his anger.

In the background, he could see Gokudera on the verge of punching the Disciplinary Committee head himself, and Yamamoto who was holding him from behind.

"Stay the hell away from my sister," was the only thing he heard from Hibari, before Tsuna was thrown across the stalls—away from the siblings.

 _Sister?!_ The similarities came crashing together, but Tsuna wasn't scared. Not when he would fight for her with his dying will.


	8. Chapter 8 Her Suspicions

**Review Reply**

 **Lady. Kira8: I'm glad you liked it! Dead is a strong word to say when referring to Kairi's future self.**

 **Xenocanaan: Let's face it, Itachi is the best.**

 **NeitherSaneNorInsane: Haha, it's nice to hear that you loved it so much. I'm debating on making an off series based on this—or even one strictly of omakes—but I want to make a good foundation of this story before I branch out of it. Maybe during my Christmas break it might happen.**

 **Guest: I may have tweaked the universe a little and added Chrome there. I can't help it! I love the girl! She needs more screen time anyways.**

 **Edward Suoh: A lovely review from a lovely you~**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: KHR, its characters, setting, and plot belong to Amano Akira. The following original character(s), and original plots belong to Angelic Bliss. All rights reserved.**

* * *

 **.**

 **Chapter 8. Her Suspicions**

 **.**

* * *

 **Tsunayoshi**

 _I'm so exhausted._ Tsuna spent the start of the day extremely tired. He was a nervous about the volleyball game, of the new transfer student, and he was nervous for Kairi. She was generally a nice person, but when she was hostile, it was a whole different story.

All the anxiety ended up bubbling up within him, and Tsuna felt flat out tired from it all. The lunch bell came by soon enough, leaving the male Sawada a slumped mess on his desk.

Brown eyes momentarily eyed the girl next to him. She was pouting. Kairi held this morning's events straight to her heart and let everyone be aware of it from her sour mood. She radiated an aura that seemed to clash with Gokudera's bitter one, leaving everyone physically affected from the tension aside from Kyoko, who was naïve towards the whole situation, and Gokudera's growing fanbase.

A firm and tapped his shoulder, getting the attention of the brunette, who was still recovering from the morning events. Looking behind him, Tsuna saw the tall figure of Yamamoto with the rest of the team members participating in the volleyball team.

"Yo, Tsuna!" called the black haired boy. His brown eyes looked excitedly towards Tsuna as the other members behind him, all looked expectedly.

"Yamamoto…"

"We're really counting on you for the game today," started Yamamoto, "You've been pretty awesome lately."

His thoughts came back to the event with Mochida. He almost forgot how he got everyone's respect that day. It was an amazing feeling altogether, a feeling that Tsuna was deprived of for most of his life. He wanted the feeling to last for a while.

Although, Tsuna would admit to being slightly embarrassed that everyone saw him in his underwear.

Tsuna held his hands in surrender. "S-sure…but it really wasn't…"

He found the words in his mouth slowly dying. How else was he going to explain that all that power came from a bullet that he was shot at by his baby home tutor without sounding as ludicrous as possible?

"Yeah, you were so cool Tsuna-kun," stated Kyoko. She was now facing him beside her friend Hana. "Do your best! I'm routing for you."

She smiled at him in a way that he had never seen before. Kyoko had herself fixated towards Tsuna's being and shined in a way that felt different than any other smile that the school idol gave out. It was a smile meant for him. A smile he would cherish.

He glanced back at Yamamoto. He was staring at Kairi, who kept her gaze towards the window. His eyes portrayed a silent longing, and Tsuna started to wonder what he was thinking. He started to wonder why he would ever look at his friend like that.

Everyone started to slowly leave one by one. It didn't take long for Tsuna and Kairi to be the only one left in the classroom, while everyone else went about with their own business.

She seemed to be lost in thought, possibly thinking of ways to torture the new student. Tsuna loved the way she would defend him—that the thought of how Kairi would go through great lengths just for him. It was heartwarming, but she forgets about herself along the road. Her primary focus had always been on everyone else—those that mattered anyways—and that alone could be self-destructive.

Tsuna worried for the girl that looked at everyone else but herself. Kairi had always been capable, it almost felt like the world demanded her to be as such. But she wasn't unstoppable. She wasn't invincible. Kairi was capable of breaking down and getting hurt just like any other person, but it didn't mean that Tsuna wanted to prevent it as much as possible. It didn't mean that Tsuna was going to try.

He didn't like to think that he owes her anything, friendship simply doesn't work that way. No, Tsuna doesn't owe her anything, but he would be willing to give her anything. Anything to the girl that changed his world.

Tsuna nudged her with his foot, instantly startling the girl. She turned her head to fully face him and Tsuna could make out the surprised look of Hibari Kairi.

"You okay?" asked Tsuna. It had been ten minutes since the lunch bell had rung, and Kairi looked like she had yet to register anything.

Kairi blinked. "Yes? Why would you ask?"

"You were pouting."

Her brows scrunched together and her reaction look doubtful. "I was not!"

Tsuna nodded his head and looked at the girl thoughtfully. "You definitely were. You had your cheeks puffed out and everything!"

Her cheeks tinted a light tone of pink, and Tsuna realized that Kairi was embarrassed. Grey eyes refused to meet his, and her arms were stubbornly crossed together. She was squirming in her seat, and Tsuna was enjoying teasing her. Kairi rarely got embarrassed. Her whole being always seemed to be in control in her emotions and actions. The male Sawada thought he might as well savor the moment while it lasted.

"Nope," Kairi shook her head fiercely. "You're delusional, you're clearly seeing things Tsuna. I'm actually starting to get worried about you."

He shook his head. "I'm _pretty_ sure I saw you pouting there."

The black haired girl huffed, her eyebrows twitching slightly. "Just for that, I'm not sharing the latest issue of _JUMP_ with you."

"Hey, no need to be petty about it!"

"I'll stop being petty when you stop lying~" sang Kairi. She shuffled around her stuff and started putting her things away.

Tsuna snorted and offered the bento box that his mother made for her. Kairi and her brother didn't really know how to cook well. When his mother found out that they were living off takeout and instant noodles, she was inclined to give the siblings proper food. Kairi showed up once and a while for meals, although Kyoya didn't appear at all. Tsuna assumed that Kairi ended up bringing Hibari his mother meals instead.

"C'mon, let's go," stated Kairi. "I want to stop by the convenience store to get some snacks."

Tsuna smiled and joined his friend on his way to the convenience store. He didn't like how his day started off, especially considering how intimidating Gokudera presented himself. But Tsuna was willing to forget for a while. He wasn't going to hold it all in and be angry about it. Tsuna was going to enjoy the rest of his day with his friend without the ill feelings that grudges held.

* * *

 **Kairi**

She was not going to forget it.

It was midday and Kairi was still angry. Of course she was not going to tell Tsuna about it. Tsuna had a philosophy that was almost saint-like, and if he heard what she had in store, it was not going to end well.

But she didn't want to leave the situation as it was. Tsuna was fine with forgiving and moving on, but Gokudera had the audacity to walk around and mess with Tsuna. His intent was clear, and Kairi will be damned before she stands around and accepts it.

No matter how well Kairi would hide her feelings, Tsuna always seemed to know. She would keep her face straight or continue on her day as if nothing happened, and yet Tsuna would always end up nagging Kairi about her thoughts. It was like the guy had this intuition that left Kairi utterly naked towards him. She could hardly hide anything from her friend because he would always know.

They were headed to the gym when Tsuna, in his all-knowing glory, popped the question.

"Are you still upset?"

Kairi stopped mid-bite from her melon pan. It was her second one, and as much as she regrets it, it was her latest guilty pleasure. Swallowing the contents in her mouth, Kairi answer. "Upset? Why would I be upset?"

"Considering how you were pouting earlier—"

"—I wasn't pouting!—"

"—I would think you were still upset."

Kairi smiled, half amused and half false. She had to applaud Tsuna and his deducting skills, but she didn't want to worry him any more than necessary. "I'm fine. There's nothing to really be worried about."

He stared at her with those big brown eyes of his. There was something about the way that he looked at her that made Kairi feel so exposed in front of him. As much as she didn't want to hide anything from her friend, there was a side of her that was dirty. The yakuza side of her that made her feel so filthy and inhumane.

She knows what Tsuna loves every part of her—that she is just acting childish. But the yakuza broke her in more ways than she could imagine. It made her hate herself for a while.

"I always worry about you, Kairi."

They stood in front of each other in silence. Kairi's pride demanded that she should not relent—that she should win this argument no matter what. She thinks it's a Hibari trait considering how Kyoya and her father is exactly the same way.

Before Kairi could reply, the hallways was filled with an intense smell of coffee. The fragrance was strong and oddly random.

The two friends looked around, their gazes evidentially landing on the fire hydrant. It as attached to a box which Kairi assumed was filled with other emergency items during a fire, but the box was emitting a very heavy caffeine scent and the female Hibari could have sworn that she could hear something boiling from inside it. Kairi and Tsuna glanced at each other in mild curiosity and opened the box together.

"Ciaossu."

Kairi blinked. There in the box Reborn sat in a miniature room inside. It was designed exactly to fit his size and accommodated him well. There were miniature books, shelves, chairs. There was even a miniature table to hold Reborn's coffee. Kairi would have been impressed if she wasn't so annoyed at the baby.

"I'm having my coffee break now," said Reborn. To add the effect, he raised his expresso cup towards the duo before taking a small sip from it.

"What are you doing in there?!" shrieked Tsuna. He was acting very odd since Reborn arrived, and even more so when the baby was with him. It was if there was something about the baby the caused Tsuna to act all jumpy. To be fair, the baby shot Tsuna and her friend had every right to be scared of him. But the child is still a mystery and that alone raised Kairi's suspicious.

"I have secret hiding places all around the school," was Reborn's only reply. He seemed to be enjoying Tsuna's reaction.

"When did you have time to do that?"

Reborn simply stared at him with those endless black eyes of his. "Don't you have other things to worry about?"

Tsuna stayed quiet for a moment before his body went rigid. "The volleyball game!" He looked at the child with pleading eyes. "Quick, I need you to shoot me with a dying will bullet!"

"I can shoot you, but you'll die."

The room instantly went silent as Reborn's words sunk in. Kairi hated how the child so carelessly handled Tsuna's life. He was an important to her, and insulting him was mean indirectly insulting her.

"I don't like your attitude, chibi," said Kairi coldly. Her eyes narrowed at the child in front of her, as all of Reborn's attention was now mounted on her person.

"You don't have to like me," he took a long sip of his drink, "you just have to deal with me."

"I won't have to deal with you if you leave."

The child boldly smirked at the female Hibari, only causing the girl's blood to boil further. "I can't. I'm his tutor."

"It's not like I can't tutor him myself. I've been tutoring him myself for three years and we're doing just fine without you," countered Kairi. They didn't need him. They had each other and they were doing just fine with that.

"It's more than just that Hibari Kairi." Kairi tried not to flinch over the fact that the child somehow knew her full name. The baby tilted his head down, causing his black fedora to shadow his face. "Academics is only one of the obstacles. I am training Tsuna to become the next Vongola b—"

He didn't get to finish his sentence as Tsuna placed a single hand over the baby's mouth. He gave the child a stern glare. " **Stop**."

He said it in such a way that caused the hairs on the back of Kairi's head to stand. It was almost as if there was another person standing there instead of the Tsuna that she knew. His eyes were different too. Not round and naïve as she expected from the boy. It was narrow and sharp, perhaps even determined. It was different, and Kairi wasn't sure whether she liked it or not.

It irked Kairi to think that Tsuna was hiding something from her. She was practically bare to him considering his intuition of his. It's not like Tsuna would ever hide anything from her. He was practically an open book of emotions. Kairi didn't really need his intuition to find out what he was thinking, but she still doubted.

Reborn seemed to be enjoying the moment. His eyes danced around the situation in amusement, but Kairi tried to not get irritated by him.

The child put down his coffee on the table and lifted a hand in the air. The green shapeshifting chameleon crawled it way down from its spot in Reborn's fedora and into his hand where it shifted into a gun. Reborn pointed the weapon intimidatingly at Tsuna which caused the boy to immediately retreat his hand.

"What did I say about touching me so casually, Tsuna?" asked Reborn. There was more threat from within his voice.

Tsuna merely shrieked in reply and help his hands in surrender. "S-sorry!"

"I can still shoot you if you want," suggested Reborn. "You seem pretty adamant on getting hit by the dying will bullet."

"Not if it means I'm going die!"

The scene blurred back into something more mundane. That version of Tsuna left quickly as it came and Kairi felt the tenseness in her shoulders leave. It was unexpected to see Tsuna act that was, but the female Hibari had a more pressing matter at hand instead divulging in the situation.

 _Vongola._ The word kept ringing in her head. She didn't know why, but there was something almost familiar about the word. Kairi was sure that she had heard it before. Where? Kairi didn't know. But the fact that Reborn mentioned it and that Tsuna seemed to be a part of it, made the heiress nervous.

"Are you coming?" asked Tsuna. He was no longer in his spot beside her, but rather further down the hallway.

Kairi gave a stiff nod and fiddled with the ends of her blue skirt. "Wouldn't want to be late now, would we?"

Tsuna smiled, but made no move to reply. In her heart, Kairi knew that her friend was starting to get suspicious, but she wasn't going to let the topic go. If it concerned the wellbeing of her friend, then she will do whatever it took to make sure it was safe.

* * *

 **Tsunayoshi**

She was getting suspicious.

Kairi knew something was up and it was getting Tsuna nervous. Reborn. The dying will bullet. Vongola. All the pieces were slowly adding together and Kairi was too perceptive to ignore it.

He knows the pieces are going to add up together sooner or later, and he knows he's going to have to tell Kairi about his current dilemma, but Tsuna wants to keep it away from her for now. The male Sawada doesn't want her to go back to that life, not when it hurt her so much. Although he didn't treat the idea of being the next Vongola boss seriously, his instinct screamed that it was real. That he was going to be the next Vongola boss whether he liked it or not.

Giving a sigh, Tsuna pushed all the thoughts about the mafia aside. He shouldn't really worry now. Not where there was a volleyball game about to start.

The duo entered the gym with their arms linked together. It was something that Tsuna and Kairi often did. It was "their thing" as Kairi dubbed it and it was one of the little things that Tsuna learned to love.

As Tsuna opened the gym, he was greeted with cheers. The whole gym was completely filled with students cheering his name. There were flags and banners all with is name on it. Everyone had their gazes locked on his form with smiles on their faces. It was heartwarming. It was spectacular. It put so much pressure on his shoulders.

"T-they're all depending on me," noted Tsuna. Everyone seemed to expect him to win or put on some exciting show like what happened with Mochida.

Kairi patted his arm reassuringly. "It's okay, Tsuna. If you lose you may lose everyone's respect, their expectations, and they may never look at you the same—"

"—that's not helping at all, Kairi—"

"—but know, that they don't matter. You'll always have me." She gave a thumbs up, "We're in this together."

He knows that she means well, but no matter how many times Kairi told him that no one else matter, Tsuna couldn't help but think that he needed to measure up to something.

"Do your best, Tsuna-kun!" cried Kyoko. She had a grin plastered on his face and looked at Tsuna expectedly.

Tsuna simply replied with a sheepish grin at his crush.

He felt Kairi shift from his side and slowly unlinked their arms. "Have fun!" was the last thing she said before she molded herself into the crowd.

The male Sawada held his stare one Kairi's form for a few seconds before meeting up with the rest of the team. They all looked motivated by the fact that Tsuna was on the team and seemed to hold as much expectation as the rest of the crowd.

What surprised Tsuna was the fact that Gokudera Hayato was on the team with him. He had his usual scowl plastered on his face and looked positively irrigated at Tsuna. The brunette had yet to fully understand Gokudera's anger towards him. He was sure that he never did anything to offend the transfer student.

Tsuna and the rest of the team waited on the side as the Disciplinary members handled cleaning on the court. The male Sawada spotted Hibari standing from across the court with an intimidating posture. He wanted to stay as far away from his radar, but as if sensing his presence, Hibari's eyes locked with his and Tsuna could feel the chill coming from the glare.

Thankfully, one of the disciplinary members distracted Hibari's attention and the volleyball game finally started.

* * *

 **Kairi**

Tsuna…was not doing very well.

He arrived in the gym will all this confidence, but as he slowly started embarrassing himself, Tsuna started to get more and more uncertain.

Takeshi on the other hand was doing surprisingly well. Kairi knew that he was an amazing baseball player, but the guy seemed to be well rounded in other sports as well

She was somewhat shocked to find out that Gokudera was on the volleyball team as well. He had just transferred, and it was odd to think that the silver haired teen would immediately be a part of the team. Reborn might have meddled in or perhaps Gokudera scared his way into the team. He certainly seemed motivated to continue terrorizing Tsuna.

Kairi sighed from her position beside her brother. The first set was finally over and the team only managed to get three points. Everyone seemed to be annoyed with this.

The female Hibari watched as everyone glared at Tsuna and there seemed to be arguing from within the. Kairi felt the need to intervene, but there was the determined look in Tsuna's eyes that stopped her. It wasn't intimidating like she saw earlier today with Reborn. This one was determined—a stronger version of Tsuna. Kairi couldn't help but be proud of him.

She watched as her friend walked to his position on the court. He held his head a bit higher and walked with more confidence than before. Everything was all good, until Kairi heard two gunshots.

The girl visibly flinched, and she could feel her brother stiffen from beside her. Kairi held her brother's hand as a means to calm him. If the Kyoya ends up unleashing his wrath it would only lead to the whole to more terror.

Kyoya relaxed soon enough. They held each other's stare—the eldest, more questioning look, and the youngest with a sheepish one.

"I'll explain later," was all Kairi said.

The eldest made no move to reply, but Kairi knew he expected an explanation nevertheless.

Their attention made it back towards the game. Tsuna laid on the ground and didn't seem to be emitting the same bull-like determination that the dying will bullet called for. Instead, Tsuna was laying there in his normal form.

A blow from a whistle showed that the next set was starting and the opposing team got ready for their turn. With a serve, the ball went over to the other side of the court straight to Tsuna.

The brunette leap into the air—far higher than Kairi had ever expected—blocking the ball from coming to the other side, and hitting Tsuna straight on the crotch.

* * *

 **Tsunayoshi**

 _Kami, did it hurt._

The two bullets that hit him exceed his expectations greatly, and Tsuna ended up almost jumping higher than the net. On the plus side, Tsuna ended up blocking the ball. On the downside, Tsuna ended up blocking the ball using his crotch. It was not a fun experience at all.

The ball bounced back from his person and landed on the other side of the court. Everyone seemed too shocked to do anything—as if they were still trying to fully comprehending what Tsuna had done. Hell, even Tsuna wasn't sure if this was really happening.

The male Sawada landed and tried to hop the pain away. It wasn't really working, but the action kept him distracted enough from his current pain.

"Good job, Tsuna!" exclaimed one of his team members.

Everyone was cheering for him in a sense of awe. His teammates seemed especially proud of the sudden change in attitude from the brunette.

"Yeah! Let's turn the tide around!" yelled Yamamoto. His cheer got everyone on the team motivated to fight harder in the game. Everyone except Gokudera. Tsuna was starting to think that the transfer student will never smile.

As the game progressed, the scores only kept going higher and higher with Tsuna's defense tactic. Eventually, the team won, leaving everyone into cheers.

"You really did it, Tsuna!" exclaimed Yamamoto. He hooked an arm around Tsuna's neck and brought him close.

Tsuna nodded. "Yeah, we won!"

Yamamoto stood tall in front of Tsuna and stared at him evenly. A wave of respect was overflowing from him. "You really amazing."

The two looked at each other in a wave of understanding. A new friendship was formed between them, and suddenly, Tsuna felt himself more engulfed in the school circle. He wasn't as isolated before. He was flooded with a wave of awe from his classmates that made him feel more included and a little less dame.

"It's not over."

Tsuna paused from his cheering to look at Gokudera. He had his back facing towards him and seemed to be the only one not happy from winning the game.

"I won't accept it." The transfer student slowly turned around to reveal his signature irritated face. "I'm the one worth to become the tenth!"

"Huh? Tenth?!"

It didn't take long for Tsuna to realize that he knew. Gokudera Hayato knew that he was the tenth generation boss for the Vongola family. He knew, and Gokudera Hayato seemed pretty adamant to steal the spot away from him.

* * *

After the game, Gokudera called Tsuna out towards the corner of one of the school buildings. I wasn't that hard to persuade the brunette, considering how intimidating the transfer student posed to be.

When they two finished changing out of their gym uniform and into their regular ones, the two classmates met and stood in front of each other face to face.

"U-um, what is this about Gokudera-kun?" asked Tsuna. He figured he might as well play dumb for now. The male Sawada didn't want to reveal any more information than he had too.

Gokudera scowled at the question. "If some trash like you becomes the tenth, the Vongola is done for."

 _Ah, so he did know._ There was no point in hiding anymore. Tsuna will have to confront the guy. "W-why do you know about the family?"

"You're annoying." From out of nowhere, Gokudera revealed a set of dynamites and prepared to attack. "This is your end."

This situation was getting far more complicated than Tsuna imagined. He expected some form of physical confrontation, but he never imagined that Gokudera would have dynamite in hand!

People could get hurt. Tsuna didn't want that. He, himself, never really mattered. He could take on any beatings and still be fine with it. The dynamites meant that there was a possibility that people will end up being a part of this mess. Tsuna couldn't have that. He needed to fix this situation as quickly as possible.

"This went faster than I'd expected."

Tsuna blinked. He was sure he heard Reborn's voice, but as he looked around there was no sign of him.

In a sudden entrance, a door peered open from within one of the trees in the area, and there, Reborn stood evenly looking down on the on them. He seemed bemused between what was going on.

As if seeing the disbelieving looks on their face, Reborn stated, "It's one of my hideaways." The child jumped from high up inside the tree and landed directly on top of Tsuna's head. "Gokudera Hayato," acknowledged the Reborn.

"What? You know him?" asked Tsuna. Of course, Reborn was involved in this mess. The brunette was starting to think what he even bothered questioning anything out of the ordinary.

"Yup, he's a family member I called from Italy, although, it's our first time meeting."

Tsuna swallowed and look at Gokudera apprehensively. "You're in the mafia?"

Gokudera ignored Tsuna, and focused his attention on the hitman instead. "So you're the hitman that the ninth has the most trust in, Reborn. I heard rumors about you."

Tsuna let the words sink in. He didn't think that Reborn was that big of a deal, but considering how much Gokudera has regarded him, it's no question that Reborn is famous one way or another. There were question that started to swirl in his head. _Just who are you, Reborn?_

"It better be true that I become the next boss if I get rid of this guy."

 _…HUH?_ Get rid? Of him? Was this guy for real? "What are you—"

"Yup, it's true," interrupted Reborn.

Tsuna was left gaping at the whole revelation. "What!? Can you even do that?!" A thought pushed itself in the male Sawada's head. "Was it even true that I'm destined to be the tenth?"

Was it all for nothing? The situation was just crazy. Sawada Tsunayoshi: the tenth generation Vongola boss. This was madness!

Reborn opted to ignore that question. "You don't want to lose the fight."

"Fight?!" So there really was going to be a fight. Tsuna didn't really know what to think at the moment. This type of fighting was different from the bullying he experienced. This was a full out mafia styled brawl. Anything can be drawn on the table. And what of the cost? Tsuna was left wondering how he was ever going to escape such a mess. "I can't fight against a mafia guy!"

Tsuna looked for any means of escape and started running. He felt far more desperate at the moment, that the brunette even considered finding Hibari to help him fix this mess. If he didn't escape now, Tsuna was sure that he was done for.

As he made his escape, two dynamites fell down from in front of him and exploded on impact. The area was filled with a cloud of dust and Tsuna was left trying to protect himself however he can.

"Stop right there," demanded Gokudera. More dynamites appeared in between his fingers and shifted his body in a more offensive stance.

"It is said that Gokudera Hayato can hide bombs on any part of his body," commented Reborn on the side. "In other words, he's a human bomb."

"My other name is Hurricane Bomb Hayato." In his hands the bombs lit on command. "Brace yourself," was his only warning before he started to attack once again.

This was not good at all. There was no way to escape the situation no matter how hard Tsuna tried. Gokudera just kept attacking relentlessly will a full intent on getting rid of the male Sawada. It didn't take long for Tsuna to be cornered on the wall of the school building with Gokudera aiming his bombs threateningly at him.

"Next it the fatal blow." The next set of bomb was lit automatically and prepared to shoot.

"Hey, Tsuna!"

His heart stopped. There, walking towards him, was Yamamoto in his smiling glory. He seemed to be oblivious of the overall tension and kept walking towards the male Sawada.

"Y-yamamoto…" Tsuna swallowed. Yamamoto kept walking into the dangerous case and Tsuna wasn't sure if he could protect him if he can't even protect himself.

"Yo! What are you doing there? I saw Kairi walking around looking for you and I thought I should help her. She seemed pretty firm on finding you." He took a moment to pause and reflect on the scene. "What are you doing there anyways?"

"This is the end of the tenth!" cried Gokudera as he threw the set of bombs their way.

Tsuna knew in his heart that he had to extinguish them before time run out. If it exploded it not only meant that end of Tsuna, but the end of Yamamoto as well. It wasn't fair for Yamamoto to die this way. He wasn't supposed to get involved in the first place!

"I have to extinguish them!" With every bit of resolve, Tsuna grabbed onto the lit end of the dynamite and set forth to putting out the flames. He later regretted as it burned the palms of his hands lightly. "This won't work!"

Off to the side, Yamamoto grabbed onto one of the bombs and inspected it for himself. "What game is this?" asked Yamamoto, brown eyes looking curiously. "It looks like fun, let me in too!"

"No! Not that!" cried Tsuna. The situation was too out of hand for him to handle alone.

"Fight with your dying will!" cried a familiar squeaky voice. The sounds of a gunshot was the last thing he heard before Tsuna was sent falling to the ground.

As the flames extinguish on his forehead and the exhilarating feeling of the dying will bullet slowly left, Tsuna was left crouching on the ground, half naked, again.

Even though he appreciated the effects of the dying will bullet, he could live without having his clothes ripped off him consistently. It just wasn't practical.

Every single bomb Gokudera had was officially put out, and Tsuna couldn't be any more thankful. Even though he cared for everyone's safety, he didn't really need Hibari hunting his ass for wrecking the school grounds.

"I did not realize it! You were the one more fit to be the boss!" exclaimed Gokudera as he bowed down in front of Tsuna. "Tenth, I'll follow you to the ends of the earth!"

"Huh?" Tsuna was really left dumbfounded. His apparent actions in dying will mode had sparked something in the transfer student to become loyal to him.

"The one who loses becomes the winner's subordinate, that is this family's rule," explained Reborn.

 _Ah, that would explain Gokudera's actions._ The rules sounded simple enough, but one thought still bothered him.

"I don't want to be the boss. Can't we just be normal classmates?"

"I won't let you do that." Tsuna flinched at the glare. "I had no interest in becoming the next boss, I just wanted to see if the you were capable of being the next boss. You proved me wrong. You risked you're life to save me even when I was your enemy!"

In an instant, Tsuna watched Gokudera move from being an intimidating person into a loyal puppy. Tsuna would have called it cute, if he wasn't so against the condition in the first place.

"Good job, Tsuna," praised Reborn. "It's because of your strength that Gokudera became your subordinate. You passed for the day. You didn't really need the dying will bullet."

Even if Reborn was a total sadist, he had his good points. This was the first time that Reborn has ever really praised Tsuna and it felt good coming from him—as if his hard work really paid off. Reborn was really thinking about him in the end, and it was great knowing that deep, deep, down inside, Reborn may not be as bad as Tsuna originally thought.

Yamamoto gave his signature laugh and hooked an arm around Tsuna's neck. "Tsuna, you're a really funny guy! Let me join the group too."

Tsuna looked at his classmate in surprise. "What?"

"You're the boss, right?"

 _He thinks this is some kind of game!_ The male Sawada didn't know what Yamamoto was suddenly so attracted to being a part of the mafia, but he hoped that it would stop soon. He didn't need to be a part of the mafia at all cost!

"Hey you!" growled Gokudera. He was glaring at Yamamoto heavily and looks disgusted by the interaction between him and Tsuna. "Don't be so friendly with the tenth!"

"My, my, what do we have here?"

All the attention was brought to the group of delinquents to the left of the trio. There were three of them, all out of uniform and all had the same mocking look when watching Tsuna. The group was larger, taller, and had an aura that radiated experience. They were most likely third years who lurked around to pick anyone they saw.

"The underwear guy is such a loser," remarked one of them, which caused the other two to laugh.

A dark look shifted onto Gokudera's face, as he stared at the group with distaste. "Looks like it's time to make myself useful."

"Huh?" Tsuna just watched as Gokudera took out more dynamite from his person and prepared to fire. "Wait—just—Gokudera-kun!"

Tsuna's efforts proves no use as Gokudera was set on abolishing the people that insulted him. "You're going to regret messing with the tenth generation Vongola boss."

Before Gokudera could even ignite his weapon of choice, the club of delinquents all fell down simultaneously to reveal the small skinny form of Hibari Kairi behind them.

She had a complete poker face as she surveyed the scenario, before her eyes landed on Tsuna. Piercing grey orbs studied him in such a way that made Tsuna feel like he was guilty for something, and perhaps he was.

Her arms slowly crossed itself in a way that reminded Tsuna of how her brother stood. She smiled slightly before dropping the bomb.

" **The tenth generation Vongola boss, was it?"**

* * *

 **AN: Guy…I'm alive.**

 **I take back everything I said about university. Everything. I am literally behind on everything, but I thought it was a good idea to make the next chapter instead of watching** _Haikyuu_ **like I planned and continuing to study for my midterms.**

 **Anywho, there it is! I hope you lot didn't wait too long. I know how it can be such as pain in the ass to wait for the next chapter of a ff, but I have another portion of my life that I need to attend to.**

 **Thoughts? I hope no one is too out of character. The plot is slowly progressing and the twist will come sooner or later. I'll also be posting a new cover soon, so keep an eye out for it!**

 **Thanks for the follows and favs. It always puts a smile on my face to see that someone follow/fav my story. Review if you can.**

 **Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian folks,**

 **-Angelic Bliss.**


	9. Chapter 9: Not Quite There

**Review Reply:**

 **Fireheart K: LMAO I'M SORRY. I'm pushing it as fast as I can, but I need to establish Kairi's relationship with everyone first. I'm showing as much people as possible lol so just be patient.**

 **Tsukiyomi: Lool I got busy, but since I'm free now I'll try**

 **Edward: Thanks for the review! 33**

 **TamashinoSuzume: LOL sorry. I really wanted to play with his relationship with her. They're a lot more alike than they seem, so they are going to clash a lot.**

 **Xenocanaan: Thanks! You're a sweetie. I appreciate the review!**

 **Chibianimefan26: Thanks so much :3**

 **Moka-girl: Lol that concept was good at first, but there is an awfully large amount of those prompts.**

 **Ai Fuyuki: Thanks a bunch!**

 **Cogan: Lol you don't even know the half of it!**

 **Neeky-chan: You're a sweetie. I hope you have a lovely day too!**

 **Skylark Sky: Oh, he has a lot of explaining to do**

 **sharkswillruledaWORLD: There are so many possibilities. Hopefully I pick the right one lol**

 **Khb: lol it is what it is**

* * *

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Chapter 9. Not Quite There

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* * *

 **Tsunayoshi**

"Tenth generation Vongola boss, was it?"

He could feel all the air rush out of him in that single sentence.

She knew.

She knew, and she was going to get hurt, and she was going to get pushed into his mess. She knew and she was going to hate him just liked she hated everything else involving the Yakuza—the _Mafia._

Grey eyes stared patiently back at him. She didn't look mad. Curious, probably from the whole mystery and maybe even a bit irritated from seeing Gokudera. But she wasn't mad so far, and that alone reassured Tsuna quite a bit.

"Well?" She raised a brow, "Are you just going to stand there?"

He sucked in his breath. Not quite ready, Tsuna prepared himself for the inevitable. "Kairi, I—"

"Che," grunted Gokudera. He gave an irritated look at Kairi, stepping forward in front of Tsuna as if to defend him. "The Tenth doesn't have to explain himself to you."

Sharp eyes pierced through Gokudera's form and Tsuna was sure he felt something snap from Kairi. Her lips were pushed together in a tight line as the two sized each other up.

"Hm?" Kairi gave a mock grin, taunting Gokudera. "And what are you doing here, transfer?"

The silver haired boy crossed his arms and squared his shoulders in pride. "As the Tenth's right hand man, I always have to be at his side."

"Right hand man? Tenth? What the hell is this?!" Kairi looked at Gokudera with disbelief. Her eyes made its way back to Tsuna. "Are you replacing me?"

Tsuna shrieked and shook his head. "What! No—never!"

"Then what is this?!" Her arms flailed around the whole scene.

"Well you see—"

"We're best friends! I called it first. We promised to get matching tattoos!"

"It's really not what you think—"

" _Woman,_ stop interrupting the Tenth."

" _What did you say?"_

The two continued to bicker amongst each other like two feral animals. Tsuna could feel the tension adding up, but it was different from before in the classroom. Not quite as threatening, but more frivolous. Tsuna knew there was still some underlying strain between them, he could feel it in his gut. The male Sawada thinks they're holding back for his sake.

"Ma, ma. Let's just all be friends!" cried Yamamoto, as he brought Kairi and Gokudera together in a group hug.

The two gave a disgusted look at the prospect of being this close to each other and tried to squirm their way out of the baseball player's grip.

"Takeshi, _stop_!"

"Let me go, idiot!" Yamamoto only replied with his signature laugh.

Tsuna watched from the sidelines at the scene in front of him. They looked happy and there was a sense of content in the air. It was very different from when it was just him and Kairi. It was only the two of them who shared all the memories, all the laughs, all the intimate moments. Tsuna enjoyed it and cherished his time with her.

But he could get used to this. The rowdiness, the unpredictability. It was new—refreshing even. Yamamoto brought stability, a trait that reminded the male Sawada of Kairi. It was soothing and brought calm to the storm. A good contrast to Gokudera, Tsuna thinks.

Feeling his stare, Tsuna turned to his side to see the ever-so-judging look of Reborn. He had already assessed the situation and seemed to be waiting for something.

"For once, you're lucky, Tsuna."

Tsuna swallowed. "I-I don't know what you mean."

Reborn made no move to reply and chose to instead keep his gaze on the scene in front of him. The male Sawada was somewhat glad that he didn't press on the matter. He managed to dodge the bullet so far thanks to Gokudera, but it didn't get rid of the feeling in his stomach. The truth was catching up and Tsuna honestly didn't know how to deal with it.

Eyes flicked back to the trio in front. They were enjoying themselves, at least that's what Tsuna would like to believe. His problems seemed to temporarily halt, and everything seemed to be okay—Tsuna convinced himself that everything would be okay.

 _Just forget for now._

* * *

 **Kairi**

"Why don't you just leave already?"

"Tch, like I'm going to leave the Tenth alone with you."

He ended up following them to Tsuna's house.

Gokudera Hayato was starting to become really irritating and Kairi was close to really ripping the guy a new one when she saw him standing so casually with Tsuna earlier in the afternoon, but she stopped herself. She saw something in the transfer student that was so rare and genuine that all thought of initial abuse was put to a halt.

She saw loyalty.

It was still fresh and new, but the new feeling of loyalty and respect that was emitting from Gokudera was so strong that it caused Kairi to change her mind. It was like he was willing to put his life down for Tsuna no matter what the case. That kind of loyalty was rare and even Kairi knew not to mess with it.

He gained her respect, although, by only a small margin. Kairi still didn't like his attitude and him in general, but she tolerated him because for some odd unexplainable reason Tsuna wanted him around. She could tell by the look on his face, just like how he wanted Takeshi around. Kairi still wasn't sure if Tsuna wanted Reborn around or not, but the child was an enigma himself. She stopped questing him after all the weird crap started happening.

"Gokudera, Kairi." Tsuna, the saint, tried his hardest to calm the situation down as best as he could, but Kairi still had to get Gokudera back from this morning events. If it meant acting like a child, so be it.

"Yeah, _Gokudera,_ stop it." The female Hibari made sure to stand as close to Tsuna as possible just to bother the transfer student. She was attached to her friend to the hip and made sure to link arms with him.

As predicted, Gokudera reacted quite hotly and pointed and accusing finger at the female Hibari. "Hey! Don't get to close to the Tenth!"

 _Tenth._ He kept repeating it like it was supposed to mean something—like some sort of status or title. It was annoying because Kairi knows that Gokudera knew. She could tell by the sudden shift in personality and the underlying meaning behind his actions. He carried this secret connection and knowledge with Tsuna and it frustrated the girl.

Tenth. Right hand man. Boss. _Vongola._ What was it supposed to mean?! The words didn't connect at all, and Kairi was starting to rip her hair out in resentment. There was logical answer to it, there always is.

She wanted to grill it out of Tsuna, but friends didn't put friends into an uncomfortable situation. Kairi saw the look that Tsuna had. He was scared. Something scared him so much that it was hard to tell her the truth. She wasn't going to push him, good friends don't do that.

But friends tell each other the truth, right? Friends were supposed to trust each other…

 _Don't push him,_ Kairi repeated. _He'll come by eventually. He'll tell you when he's ready._

Kairi's thoughts were brought back to reality as she aimed her attention back to Gokudera. He looked quite disheveled from the overall excitement as he stood to Tsuna's right.

She stuck her tongue out towards the silver haired transfer. "You can't make me."

"Why you!"

The female Hibari let out an airy laugh as she caught Gokudera's reaction. He looked like a cat. Gokudera's body was very tense—his hair practically rigid and upturned—and the vein on his forehead looked ready to pop. He was spazzing out over every little thing involving Tsuna, and honestly, Kairi found it to be downright hilarious.

Thankfully, the trio arrived to the Sawada residence in one piece. Takeshi—who was walking with them part way—had already left to go his separate direction, leaving Kairi to deal with the overbearing mess that was Gokudera Hayato. He downright refused to leave Tsuna's side—whether out of sheer loyalty or just to piss Kairi off—and insisted that they all walk home together. Even when they reached the Sawada house, the silver haired student still felt the need to attach himself to Tsuna's hip.

Like the loyal "right hand man" that Gokudera proclaimed, he walked the duo to the porch before bowing a full 90 degrees.

"Thank you again, Tenth, for everything that you've done. I will aim to serve you better in the future."

Tsuna gave a half-hearted smile. "You really don't need to try so hard. I'm fine with just being friends."

"T-tenth!"

The two seemed to share a moment, and Kairi felt like she was… _intruding_ in a way. Gokudera was looking at Tsuna with those big puppy dog eyes of his that Kairi assumed was only reserved for her friend. If the heiress didn't know any better, she could almost see flowers starting to form in the background.

 _Is this what bromance is supposed to look like?_ Kairi and Tsuna were pretty exclusive when it came towards interacting with other people. This type of interaction was a new type of observation and the female Hibari really didn't know how to react from it. _Why do I kind of ship it…?_

It was at that moment that Kairi came into a realization. Gokudera Hayato was trying to steal Tsuna from her. It should have been obvious from the beginning. The nicknames, the excessive need to shove his face in between them. Gokudera wanted to get rid of Kairi, replace her, and live happily ever after…like hell Kairi will let that happen. She claimed first dibs and she was not going to let this _threat_ come in the way of her friendship.

Shaking her head, Kairi went on her way to join Tsuna, who had already stepped into the house.

"H-hey, where are you going?" asked Gokudera. He kept his accusing stare on Kairi, hands stuck in his pocket, with a familiar scowl on his face.

Kairi smirked as she flicked her black hair behind her. "Didn't you know?" asked the female Hibari. She made sure to add as much mockery as possible. "I have dinner at Tsuna's house every other day."

Gokudera's reaction was priceless. He look absolutely dumbfounded by the thought before his personality shifted into his natural irritated one. " _You!_ Don't burden the Tenth!"

Like the victor she was, Kairi stuck her tongue out to the silver haired student before promptly shutting the door to his face.

"Idiot."

* * *

 **Tsunayoshi**

It was after eating dinner that the two friends ended up settling in Tsuna's room together. Reborn wasn't present at the moment, which the brunette thought it was odd considering how he always seemed to be there. If anything, the baby was probably hiding somewhere to drink some tea.

With the two of them left alone it was quiet, which was weird because it wasn't the natural, serene, quiet that Tsuna was used to when being with Kairi at times. It was awkward, with a hint of tension.

Maybe Tsuna was overthinking it. Kairi didn't exactly look or react any differently in the moment. In fact, she look like she had completely forgotten the little incident earlier that day. The female Hibari was just idly flipping through an old issue of _Jump_ as if it was any other day.

But he had to tell her.

There wasn't any secrets between them, so he had to tell her.

Tsuna laid down beside Kairi, who was laying on her stomach on his bed. He turned his body towards hers and curled slightly to her form. A hand reached towards a couple of stray strands of black hair that fell from her ponytail and twirled it around the index finger, playing with it.

"I'll tell you about it later."

Grey eyes looked firmly forward for a few seconds before slowly making its gaze to the boy to the right. Her face was relaxed as she assessed him, lips pursed together slightly.

Brown eyes looked back, equally as intense and determined. It bored into hers as it has always done countless times before. Gazes were locked firmly with each other's, as if they were the only ones in the world that existed.

"Oh." Was her reply. "Is it bad?"

He hesitated. Stuck between holding it in and revealing it all. "Possibly."

Kairi blinked slowly. Tsuna could tell that she didn't fully understand the situation or his behaviour because of it. But she had a look of understanding on her face. Whether it was forced or genuine, Tsuna didn't know.

"Don't worry," Tsuna assured. "Everything will be fine."

Humming a reply, the female Hibari turned her attention back to magazine in front of her, leaving Tsuna completely to his thoughts.

Everything would be okay. The world can't be that scary out there. What's the worst that could happen?

* * *

 **Kairi**

"Why are you here?"

Kairi rolled her eyes at her brother. He was already laid down, ready for bed, when Kairi arrived in his room in a pair of matching red pajamas and her snorlax plushie in her arms.

"Well, I thought you might've wanted to know about Namimori's latest guest, but since you're being such a grump, I don't think I want to tell you anymore." Kairi feigned leaving, when she heard the familiar grunt from her brother, signalling a sign of approval.

Smiling inwardly, the female Hibari quickly trekked into the room entered under the blue covers. Kyoya kept his room as clean as ever, not a thing in disarray. It was your typical teenage room, with a single bed, desk with matching chair, and dresser. Painted a calming blue-grey, the room itself held minimal decoration aside from a few photos here and there, a small potted cactus located on the bookshelf in the far right corner of the room.

She curled up to her brother from, smelling the scent of green tea mixed with a faint smell of lavender from the body wash Kairi bought recently. She loved snuggling up to her brother. He was always warm for some reason, which made the best kind of heater in the winter. Kairi was the type that could take the cold easily, and having Kyoya around to do more than reach things for her had its perks.

Being with Kyoya also meant security. They were sibling and sure they fought every now and then, but Kyoya would always be there to protect her, whether she knew about it or not. There were a few _incidents_ where some student felt some need to bother Kairi, as if it was some indirect attack aimed at Kyoya. It was never anything big enough for female Hibari to struggle with, however, it was rather suspicious how the students who started the episode was never to be seen again.

But perhaps one of her favourite things about being close to her brother, was hearing his heart beat. The soft rhythm of the organ was soothing and ensure to Kairi that it was real. That in this moment in time, she was safe with her brother away from the Yakuza.

"Tell me about this baby," asked Kyoya as he rested his head on top of Kairi's.

"He's…" _demonic, sadistic, a brat_ "…weird."

" _Weird_?"

"Weird." Kairi pursed her lips, reliving the memories in her head. "He talks sophisticatedly, an expert marksman, and I think he's secretly a coffee addict."

"So he's strong then?"

Kairi scoffed. She didn't need to be looking at her brother to know that he had that ferocious gleam in his eyes. "Did you miss the part where he's a coffee addict?"

"I heard you," said Kyoya as he started to weave his fingers in Kairi's hair in a repetitive manner. He would do it all the time when she was younger to get her to fall asleep and most times it would work. Being 13 years old right now, Kairi would think he would stop. And maybe if it wasn't so relaxing, Kairi would tell him to.

"He's not normal, that's for sure," murmured Kairi. She didn't exactly enjoy Reborn's time here. He was too much of an anomaly that accounted as a threat in Kairi's book.

The siblings laid next to each other in silence. Kairi to busy lost in her thoughts and Kyoya too relaxed to care.

It was after a few minutes of quiet that Kyoya decided to ask. "What's wrong?"

Kairi hesitated, burying her face deeper into the snorlax plush. "It's nothing."

"It must be bothering you enough to want to sleep with me."

She wrinkled her nose. Kairi most certainly did not only seek out her brother when she had a problem. That would be ridiculous to assume. There had been countless times where the female heiress settled with a problem without her brother being within a five metre radius of her. She just can't think of any right now in the moment.

"It's just Tsuna."

Kyoya stopped playing with Kairi's hair only to sneer. "Is he being a nuisance, because I can get rid of him."

"No! Not at all!"

"Is pressuring you to do something you don't want to do, Imouto?"

"Definitely not! Like he even can!"

"Did he touch you in an awkward place?"

Kairi did nothing but gape at her brother. Grey eyes stretched far wider than it has ever been before. Tsuna? Touching her? In places like that? He wouldn't have the balls to.

She felt her face flush in heat in imagining the situation. "Kyo-nii, you're horrible!"

Grey judging eyes stared impassively at the younger sibling before him. "I'm just being careful."

"But this is Tsuna we're talking about!"

"Doesn't excuse the fact that he's capable of such an action."

Kairi groaned into the pillow under her. There was just no stopping this. She knew that her brother felt _something_ towards Tsuna, but she would never imagine for it to be this _intense._ Tsuna didn't even do anything wrong to Kyoya! The fact that he's being so difficult just proves that he was so just being over protective and completely unfair.

"He didn't do anything to me, not really." Kairi paused, trying to gather the words together. She knew how she felt and she knew why she felt it. Saying it is a completely different experience. "I think he's keeping something from me."

"Oh?" questioned Kyoya. "And you're upset because of that?"

"Yeah, it just we tell each other everything! I tell him everything. I don't exactly enjoy being left out."

She'd like to think that it may be Reborn's fault for it happening. Ever since the baby came, Kairi could feel things spinning out of control. What used to be "Movie Mondays" ended up being withheld with Kairi having to spend the afternoon by herself.

"Don't even get me started on the whole Vongola mess."

" _ **Vongola?**_ " asked Kyoya.

There was something dark about the way Kyoya said the name. No longer curious or concerned like before. It was almost menacing, as if it put an awful taste to his mouth.

Kairi nodded slowly. "Yeah. The chibi mentioned it and I overheard the transfer student say that Tsuna was the Tenth generation Vongola boss. Do you know what's going on, Kyo-nii?"

Kyoya said nothing and abruptly sat up. He pushed away the covers exposing the chill night air and sending goosebumps on Kairi's skin. The elder sibling stepped out from the covers, exposing a grey shirt and black pajamas as long strides lead towards the door.

"Excuse me," was all he said before exiting the room in haste, leaving Kairi alone to her thoughts.

 _What the hell was going on?_ Nothing made sense anymore. The female heiress could somewhat understand Tsuna and Reborn's connection, and she was willing to suspend her belief in Gokudera being involved in this. But Kyoya? How the hell did he recognize the name? It was supposed to be meaningless, perhaps even unheard of. So why did he know? Why did everyone else seem to know but her?

* * *

 **Tsunayoshi**

Another baby appeared.

He wasn't quite like Reborn. This child was dressed like a cow—cow print clothing and horns to match—and acted way differently than Reborn. He appeared standing on top of one of the branches of Tsuna's tree with artillery strapped on every inch of his body.

He came with a pistol in one hand and a grenade launched in the other. All kinds of hand held weapons were strapped on the infants back, and Tsuna was starting to wonder who the hell gave a child so many weapons. It was pretty obvious that the child was connected to the Mafia one way or another, but he was still a child

The child burst into Tsuna's room with such persistence and aimed a finger at Reborn. He proclaimed all his goals towards Reborn, claiming that he will beat him someday. At first glance, Tsuna might have believed him. This newcomer stood the same height as Reborn and had access to real—at least Tsuna assumed that it was real—weapons. The last time he doubted the integrity of the weapons he got shot by Reborn. He looked strong and spoke confidently. Tsuna was close to running for cover as he prepared for the onslaught that the two Spartan babies were about to face.

The brunette was sure that some epic battle was going to ensue…until Reborn flat out ignored the cow dressed infant.

Reborn simply ignore the newcomer as if he didn't exist and went on to trying to teach Tsuna his academic lesson for the day. Of course, the infant got irritated and demand the attention he so rightfully deserved. Using his built up anger, the baby dressed boy aimed a sloppy punch to the fedora wearing sadist.

Black orbs made no move from the textbook it was focused on. Reborn simply lifted a single hand and slapped the intruder away, sending him straight to the wall opposite of him.

Silence. The room was filled with absolute silence until Tsuna heard whimpering.

Gathering his bearings, the cow dressed baby sat in his place, lips quivering and tears threatening to fall. His small body was jittering slightly as the child held onto the newly gained wounds. He caught Tsuna's gaze and pointed accusingly at the teen.

"I'm not crying, got it!"

"O-okay!" Tsuna held his hands up in surrender. The day was just too weird to comprehend. Give or take, things were calming down slightly throughout the week—if you ignore Reborn's cruel way of teaching—and the brunette was starting to fall back to normalcy, at least he hoped so. Of course, his luck had to run out sooner or later.

"U-um…" Tsuna cleared his throat as he tried to gain stranger's attention back. The baby's green eyes seemed solely fixed on glaring at Reborn. When he was sure that he got the infant's attention, Tsuna continued. "Who are you?

The child pointed his thumb to his person and stood tall. He had his chest out and was pouring and endless amount of confidence. "My name is Lambo and I'm a 5 year-old hitman from the Bovino family! I am going to defeat Reborn"

He proclaimed himself in such a way that almost felt inspiring. There was such determination and confidence in his voice that it made Tsuna almost believe him.

He learned later that the cow baby with the obnoxious voice was just a giant crybaby.

* * *

 **Kairi**

"Che."

She was going to snap, she really was.

Apparently, Gokudera Hayato came to school early and now Kairi has to deal his constant whining about her. The best friend stealer was out of uniform, again, and the female Hibari was closed to calling her brother over, but Kairi wasn't that cruel of a person. If anything, she was going to wait until she was out of the scene so that it would look like a total accident.

"I don't get why the Tenth hangs out with you," grumbled Gokudera. He had his arms crossed together as he slumped over his seat. "He deserves to be around better people."

"Well, I don't get how an old man like you still hasn't graduated," countered Kairi. She crossed her legs as she looked boredly at the silver haired student behind her. For the past ten minutes, Gokudera had been going on and on about how great Tsuna was and how she was the total opposite. It was small insults if anything, but Kairi wasn't going to relent. She was too petty for that.

Gokudera twitched a brow in annoyance and abruptly stood up from his spot. "I'll have you know, my hair colour is natural!"

"Yes, because having grey hair at an early age is natural."

He scoffed in retaliation. "I don't expect you to understand. Obviously you're—"

Kairi blinked. Gokudera paused mid-rant, eyebrows scrunched together in concentration and his mouth slightly open. The heiress didn't really know what was going on until she heard the faint sounds of Tsuna's voice. Grey and green eyes locked together before they bolted to the door.

Kairi reacted quickly. Her arms sprung forward and pushed the transfer student aside, momentarily gaining the upper hand. She sprinted forward and came close to the door when she felt a warm hand grip her ankles causing the girl to fall forward onto the desk in front of her sending loose sheets of paper scattered everywhere.

The student occupying the said desk exploded and felt the need to scream at Kairi, but her attention wasn't there. Instead, she look incredulously behind her to see the transfer student breathing heavily, smug grin plastered on his face and all, as he ran for the door.

 _Oh, hell no._ Gokudera was already at the door, but Kairi was not going to give up there. With every last bit of adrenaline, the female Hibari pushed herself forward and pounced towards Gokudera.

* * *

 **Tsunayoshi**

He opened the door expected at least some normalcy within the classroom only to be dead wrong.

He was at first greeted with an overly joyous Gokudera, which was a surprise on its own. Tsuna new the transfer student was _passionate_ but he didn't really expect this first thing in the morning.

"Good morning, Tenth!" exclaimed the silver haired student. He had this gleam in his eyes that seemed to twinkle with each and every word.

"Ah, good morning," was Tsuna's reply. He still felt really uncomfortable with Gokudera calling him Tenth and there was still the fear of the obvious recognition that came with it. Last thing the brunette needed was for anyone else to recognize the connections. "Please stop calling me that."

Gokudera's tall form stood rigidly. "No. The Tenth is the Tenth. He deserved to be called by his proper title."

"But-" before he could finish, Tsuna could feel a shiver rise up on his spine as a black blur ran towards them from inside the classroom and launched itself straight at Gokudera.

"Get away from him you best friend stealer!" Kairi—he really didn't want to think it was Kairi. There was something about her that seemed almost ravenous and a bit mad—had pounced her small form into Gokudera's back and tried to claw his face out.

" _Woman!"_ The silver haired transfer reacted hotly, reaching from above his head in an attempt to remove the smaller girl from him. Kairi didn't relent and slapped his hand away from her.

They were at it again.

Tsuna knew that Kairi didn't exactly have the best first impression of Gokudera and the same could be said vice versa. The two just didn't seem to get along or at least, they didn't want to. Being with Tsuna ultimately meant that Kairi would come along. It was like a given fact. They appeared as a package, never to be separated for an extended period of time, not for a while at least. Where ever one went, the other was soon to follow and that was how it worked for a while. They both supported each other as much as possible.

But as more people appeared in the picture, Tsuna could tell that Kairi had a hard time balancing it all. It was simpler back then—not as dramatic or complex, not that the present was any different expect for the fact that Tsuna was now a heir to some Mafia family, has a hitman for a teacher, a new friend who liked explosives too much, a popular jock feeling the excessive need to talk to him, and his crush finally on speaking terms with him.

Maybe now was a bit different, but it can't all be that bad, right? It was fun for the most part, Tsuna was having fun for the most part.

"Ma, ma, are they at it again?"

Tsuna turned to his left to see that Yamamoto had appeared abruptly. He was smiling and all, seemingly enjoying the destructive scene going on again. He stood tall in a crumpled version of the school uniform almost as if he just came out of baseball practice.

"Yeah," replied Tsuna, "They just can't seem to get along."

Yamamoto gave his signature laugh and shrugged off the situation entirely. "They're getting along just fine."

 _Hardly,_ thought Tsuna. He noticed that Yamamoto could be rather _oblivious_ to the situation around him. He had a selective attention span and seemed to interpret the situation in an entirely different light from what it was. Whether it was a good thing or a bad thing was mystery.

"Hey, are you still playing the Mafia game, Tsuna?" asked Yamamoto as if it was the most normal thing to say. "Because I want to play too."

He could feel a sweat drop. To this day, Yamamoto insisted that the whole Mafia mess was a game and persisted on being a part of it. The brunette didn't really know why the taller boy seemed so insistent on being a part of it, but if his overall anxiety to the issue was right, Tsuna really didn't want Yamamoto to be a part of it. Reborn was scary enough. Imaging was whole army of him was a bigger nightmare.

Tsuna could feel her heavy stare from a mile away. Brown eyes slowly made its way to his best friend only to see a glimpse of grey quickly averting away in favor of staring at the wall of the opposite direction.

A suddenly heavy feeling was felt by Tsuna. He had yet to tell her. He had been inadvertently avoiding the situation entirely. He promised her that he would tell her later. Later ended up being tomorrow and then the day after. Soon a couple of days past by without him saying a word about it.

Kairi never said anything about it and Tsuna seemed more contented staying in silence. But there was an aura of anxiety that was slowly building up and eating his whole being. As if not saying it right now in this moment would be a greater torture. It wasn't exactly an easy thing to say or an easier topic to explain. But she had a right to know. He needed to tell her.

Tsuna decided that today would be the day. He was going to tell her everything. Whatever her reaction may be, whatever the outcome it may conclude to, was still a mystery to him. But there was no secrets between them. There shouldn't be, at least.

"What?!" reacted Gokudera. His attention was no longer on Kairi and instead fixated his gaze on the black haired student in front of him. "You want to be the Tenth's right hand man, don't you? I won't go away that easily! The Tenth's right hand man is me!"

"Come on, let me join the group. The more the merrier, right?" Yamamoto didn't seem to talking to Gokudera anymore. His gaze was directed to the silver haired student and his body may be facing him as well. But his words, there was something about his words that targeted a different person entirely. More specifically, Yamamoto always seemed to be eagerly wanting to be near Kairi.

Grey eyes peaked from under her long lashes. Kairi had already jumped off of Gokudera after he went territorial on Yamamoto and held a leveled gaze. Tsuna still didn't understand what was going on between the two no matter how much he tried to understand the situation. Kairi was always so tense around new people. Why was he different? Why did he care?

"You're in the way."

Four pairs of eyes made its way to the right to see a very annoyed Hana and a sheepish Kyoko. Tsuna felt his heart flip slightly. She was only looking at him and it was enough to leave the brunette in such a state of paralysis. Kyoko stood there in her usual hairstyle, in the same uniform, with that same smile of hers, but it was like he was meeting her all over again—the girl that he fell in love with.

"Good morning, Tsuna-kun," said Kyoko.

"A-ah, Kyoko-chan, good morning." Tsuna felt his arm reach the back of his head in a timid fashion. He tried to control himself as much as possible, but maybe if she Kyoko didn't look at him with that stare of hers or with that smile she gives, then maybe the male Sawada wouldn't be left in an awkward mess that he was in.

Doe eyes made its way down as the ginger haired girl made a curious gaze. She pointed her index finger downwards. "Is this kid your brother?"

 _What?_ Tsuna followed the direction of Kyoko's gaze and saw the most unfortunate situation ever. Lambo, the cow dressed child, had followed him to school and clung to Tsuna's leg.

In disbelief, Tsuna raised his leg to get a better look at the child. He looked absolutely terrified, in the brink of tears and all, as he held on in every bit of desperation onto Tsuna. "What?! Since when?"

"What is this?"

Tsuna could feel the ends of her long hair tickle his arm as Kairi approached him. He forgot how she seemed to radiate some sort of warmth out of her. She kept some sort of distance away from him ever since he seemed to keep a distance from his problems. He missed when she was this close.

"Another chibi?" question Kairi. She bent down and a curious finger made its way to Lambo, poking the afro of his causing the boy to cling harder on Tsuna.

"Wow, how cute!" Kyoko crouched to Lambo's level and gave the child a reassuring smile. It helped slightly, as the cow dressed child loosened his grip on the male Sawada's leg. "What's your name?"

Lambo made no move to answer and instead, buried his face on Tsuna's leg.

Hana took a step back, as if weary of the child's existence. "Is it alright to bring him here?" Her body shifted behind Kyoko, hiding behind her slightly.

Tsuna shook his head quickly, arms up in defense. "N-no it's not like that at all!" He gripped on top of Lambo's lead and pulled in a means of trying to remove the child from his person, however, Tsuna didn't get really far without Lambo threatening to burst into tears. Giving a weary sigh, Tsuna gave up for the time being.

Feeling a slight shiver, Tsuna cautiously looked up to see the piercing gaze of Hibari Kyoya. He was quite a distance away wearing his uniform in prime condition and with his disciplinary band worn proudly on his arm. The elder male stalked slowly in Tsuna's direction in a way that reminded Tsuna of a predator waiting to catch its prey. He didn't know why but the male Hibari seemed to be hunting for some reason. It was different from before, as if there was less caution in his motives but more intent, as if Hibari really wanted to rip Tsuna to shreds. Tsuna made sure to be near, well, as near as he can, to Kairi whenever the older sibling was around, and if now, the brunette ran. He ran as far away from the disciplinary committee member. He'd rather not be "bitten to death" anytime soon by Hibari. Reborn on the other hand, made it impossible for Tsuna to avoid any cases of a near death experience.

"I'm sorry, I'll return it immediately!" cried Tsuna as he followed his instincts and ran the opposite direction, Gokudera following closely behind.

"Come back before class starts!" yelled Yamamoto and Tsuna honestly planned to follow his instructions. If he didn't have the worse luck, he might have been able to make it back on time.

* * *

Tsuna could feel his anxiety rise up from Lambo's appearance. He managed to run far away from any sort of human contact and into an isolated place south of the building courtyard.

The child made it apparent that he was looking for Reborn. Lambo seem adamant to try and battle it out with the other baby and got lost on the way. Of course, being lost in a foreign country all by yourself led the cow dressed baby to cling on Tsuna as if he was a lifeline.

Gokudera seemed equally as distraught from Lambo's appearance but from a different reason than Tsuna. The supposed "right hand man" made it clear that the child was wasting Tsuna's time.

"You're going to be late if you don't hurry up."

Tsuna gasped at Reborn's sudden appearance. Instead of a regular water foundation, the front passage containing the aligned faucets opened like a door to reveal Reborn sitting comfortably on a red chair. He seemed slightly amused on the situation, more at Tsuna's reactions if anything, as he assessed everything.

"What the hell are you doing there?!" yelled Tsuna. Reborn's antics keep getting more and more ridiculous as the days continue. He really didn't know what to expect from Reborn anymore. He was just too unpredictable.

Reborn gave a smug grin. "My hideouts in this school are all connected by a secret passageway."

"You can't just randomly do that!" Tsuna felt worry momentarily enter his system. If Hibari knew about this it would be absolutely dreadful. No one violates the school—a baby is no exception.

Upon seeing Reborn, Lambo's tiny figure went out of its way and crawled up on Tsuna, standing tall on his head. He gave the child opposite of him an intimidating gaze. His obnoxious laugh could be heard from afar—arms crossed and all. "You fell for it, Reborn! Everything up until now was staged to get you to come out!"

 _Liar._ Tsuna gave a blank stare at Lambo. "You were crying for real."

Being caught in the act, Lambo jumped from Tsuna's head and pulled out a green missile launcher out of nowhere. He pointed it directly at Reborn, closing one eye to aim. "Prepare to die, Reborn!"

Gokudera, stiffened from seeing the weapon. He quickly turned to Reborn. "Reborn-san, could this kid be…"

"He's a hitman from the Bovino family," answered Reborn. He made no move from his current position in front of Lambo.

Sensing the new threat, Gokudera made his way in front of Tsuna and the infant tutor. He stood in a defensive position and quickly armed himself with his signature weapon of choice, ready to prove himself. "Stay back Tenth! I can handle this."

"W-what! No, Gokudera-kun," cried Tsuna, however, Gokudera was quick to light up the dynamites loaded in between each finger as he threw it all towards Lambo.

Lambo stood completely helpless as the ignited dynamites exploded upon contact, creating a small explosion and sending a larch cloud of dust scattered everywhere. The cloud was dense sending Tsuna into a coughing fit and for a moment he worried for the cow child. He didn't appear to be threatening by the least even if he challenged Reborn openly or carried a wide array of arsenal. He was still a kid.

The cloud of dust quickly cleared revealing a broken missile launcher and an even more broken Lambo. He laid on his stomach looking completely beaten with soot covering some part of his body. Tsuna would have thought he died if not for the fact that Lambo started moving. Gathering himself, Lambo moved into a sitting position and started to full out cry.

"He's so weak…" commented Gokudera. Tsuna couldn't helped but agree with him.

Lambo continued to cry as he reached over his head and into his afro. Squinting from his spot, Tsuna saw that the child seemed to be pulling out something purple. It was later revealed that the purple object that was within Lambo's afro was actually a large bazooka.

"How did he get that out?!" yelled Tsuna as he watched Lambo pull the large bazooka from his afro, throw it in front of him, and jumped into it. Tsuna tried to make sense of it, he really did. But jumping into a bazooka just has no rational explanation at all. It got even weirder when Lambo fired the bazooka from within it.

Pink smoke emerged everywhere, obscuring Tsuna's vision. As the smoke started to clear, the brunette could make out a tall, slender, figure from the fume making its way to Tsuna's general direction. Out from the fog revealed a very suave person dressed in khakis and a black dress shirt buttoned down. The collar of the shirt was cow printed, similar to the way Lambo's clothing was printed and the person from the smoke wore a cow themed necklace as well.

 _Who is this person?_ The boy looked similar in age to Tsuna, perhaps a tad bit older and seemed to stare at him with only one deep green eye opened.

"Ah, jheez," remarked the stranger as he looked causally at his surroundings. He was relaxed from the looks of it—body slouched and all—as he gave a single wave to Tsuna. "Nice to see you again, young Vongola Tenth."

Tsuna looked at the newcomer in surprise. He seemed to know a lot more that Tsuna initially thought seeing as how he addressed him by is title. _A part of the Mafia, perhaps? Another hitman?_ Nothing was really coming together.

"He looks familiar…" remarked the silver haired transfer. Gokudera stared at the stranger in slight familiarity, eyes squinted slightly. "I'm sure I've seen him somewhere before."

The stranger smiled slightly as his green gaze moved over to the side to one of the pillars holding the roofs connecting the buildings. "It's especially nice to see you again, Kairi-nee-chan."

* * *

 **Kairi**

Maybe, just maybe, Kairi was creeping.

Of course, creeping is such an unattractive word. Sure she may have followed Tsuna and Gokudera to some isolated place at the school and sure she was just casually ease dropping, but she had a justified reason for this. She really did.

It was the only way Kairi was getting anything from Tsuna. He wasn't really avoiding her, not really. But there was some sort of apprehension towards the way he acted. It was because he was so uneasy that Tsuna created a wall between them, a wall that shouldn't even exist in the first place. Of course, it pissed Kairi off when she first realized it. He promised her he would tell her later. Later ended up being far longer than Kairi imagined and Kairi was starting to think that it would never come. But maybe, this was something she had to figure out on her own.

So she followed Tsuna. No one noticed her, breaking out of the compound every so often was a good experience for this. No one seemed to notice, but Reborn.

When Reborn revealed himself from his hiding place, Kairi wasn't the least bit surprised anymore. Reborn made it pretty clear that he could do whatever he wants whenever he wants with no question about it. It was his attitude that irked the girl. A baby, younger than her nonetheless, came into town with such arrogance. It was infuriating and irritated Kairi to the core. It doesn't help that he seemed to drag Tsuna into whatever mess he was in now.

When depthless black eyes connected with Kairi's from behind the pillar, she couldn't help but feel a chill. This child was so odd. So very _odd._ He was definitely far from normal. She already wrote to her uncle Fon about the whole situation, but, considering how he was somewhere in the depths of the Chinese wilderness, Kairi doubts that a reply will appear any time soon.

Lambo—Kairi hopes she remember the name correctly from Tsuna's shouting—was also an odd child. At first she thought he was like Reborn. They were similar in stature wise, but Kairi immediately dismissed the thought seconds after. This child didn't seem to display the same aura that Reborn or even her Uncle has. Lambo was in fact a child—albeit, a strangely dressed one—but a child through and through. The female Hibari does, in fact, wonder who in the right mind would give a child this much arsenal, but that was an investigation for a later day.

She did feel bad for the young boy. He was pretty defenseless in his entirely. Gokuera went too far as to attacking the boy and Kairi was almost ready to attack the transfer student until Lambo went on ahead and shot himself with the bazooka. Now there was a new person that appeared in the child's place and shit got even stranger. Now, Kairi was sure this was not _Sailormoon._ People didn't suddenly transform into entirely different people with giraffe legs, so Kairi quickly crossed magical girls out of the equation.

Kairi has to admit, that the stranger wasn't bad looking. He pretty face and even nicer hair. But he was just too strange. He referred to her as his older sister when she has never met the boy before in her entire life. It's not like Kairi had bad memory or anything and considering how the boy was dressed, she was sure she would remember someone as _memorable_ as him.

The female Hibari left her hiding place and stood in the open. She saw Tsuna's expression from the corner of her eye. He was shocked to say the least. The heiress made no move to look him in the eye and instead chose to focus her attention to the situation in front of her.

"Do I know you?" asked Kairi. She crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation.

"Hm…" The stranger gave a curious gaze. "I wonder, did I spill a secret of Decimo's?"

 _Decimo?_ It sounded Italian. No one was Italian here except for Gokudera. _Which meant—_

Grey orbs landed onto Tsuna's form. He gave his unusual shriek of his before covering his mouth in guilt. It always seemed to tie back onto Tsuna now a days and it was getting tiring hearing about it.

"Kairi, I'm sorry. I'll tell you—"

"Later, right?" Kairi gave her best friend an empty smile. "Don't worry Tsuna, your eyes told me everything."

Not wanting to hear any more of it, Kairi left before Tsuna could say another word.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Hi. So I'm alive.**

 **LMAO SORRY EVERYONE. School was just….ugh. I got a decent mark, but still. I'm kinda traumatized. I have a lot more free time now, but I still have a job to juggle with, so expect updates, but now that much. Don't worry, I'm not going to make you wait for a year or something.**

 **I'm so grateful to everyone that followed and or favourited. I'm crying tbh. I'll have an omake ready for the next chapter in a jiffy. I would have put it in this chapter—I'm half done it—but I got to excited and I felt bad for making you wait. So I decided to upload this chapter ahead.**

 **Thoughts? I love hearing your opinion. It may seem slow pace now, but all together it will make sense.**

 **Just letting you know, I'm going on a bit of an editing spree. None of the actual content is going to change, just grammar stuff and maybe format.**

 **With all my love,**

 **-Angelic Bliss**


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